A Game of Poker, Chapter 36: Goodbye, My Almost Lover
Title: A Game of Poker
Author: Bookkbaby
Rating: Teen
Warnings: YAOI
Summary: LUCKY Pair. It started as a simple game of poker, but a little white lie from Lavi changes everything. ['If you lose... you spend the night here, with me, and let me do whatever I want with you.']
Warnings: YAOI, which means BOYS LOVING BOYS. If you dislike that, then the back button is easy enough to find. Please click that and leave. Limes are in the future, and lemons. Maybe some OOC, spoilers for the end of the anime later on.
Disclaimer: I don’t own these lovely characters, that honor belongs to Katsura Hoshino. (Though if Hoshino-sama ever has a sale, I call dibs on Tyki… what?) I don’t own anything but a copy of the anime series and all volumes of the manga in English. Anything you don’t recognize (like the plotline of ‘A Game of Poker’) does belong to me. Everything else… not so much. Please don’t sue. I don't own the song this chapter title comes from; A Fine Frenzy's 'Almost Lover'. I make no money from it.
Beta’d by the amazing MantisReign, Niamh, and Cackles!
Dedicated in part to Cackles, since she made an awesome Lucky vid months ago to the song this chapter’s title comes from! (The song is ‘Almost Lover’ by A Fine Frenzy, which I don't own either and make no money from.) Also dedicated to Tim, since his co-workers stole his cookies.
Last Time On ‘A Game Of Poker’:
"Good. I'm glad," Lavi said, voice coming out in a whisper. He doubted Tyki had even heard him. The Noah disappeared around the corner and Lavi let himself relax. His shoulders slumped and he let out a slow, shuddering breath. He turned away from the corner Tyki had disappeared around and began walking towards his room. He needed to lie down for a while, somewhere he wouldn't be disturbed. If anyone asked, he could say that his injuries were bothering him.
He was certainly feeling hurt enough.
And Now, The Continuation
IMPORTANT NOTE: Information on a poll at the end of the chapter! Please vote, everyone!
Chapter 36
Goodbye, My Almost Lover
Tyki stalked down the hallway, a dark scowl on his face.
None of it had mattered to Lavi. Not one bit of it had meant anything to the redhead. Tyki had sacrificed his way of life, the only family he had ever known, had his powers bound for weeks so that the Order could be certain that their trust in him was not misplaced, and the person he had done it for no longer wanted anything to do with him.
Tyki's hands clenched into fists at his side.
He had nothing here, but it was already too late to go back to the Earl and ask for his old job back. He'd be killed on sight.
Tyki stopped and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. It was ridiculous to be so upset over the loss of whatever he had thought that he had had with Lavi. No matter his own thoughts or feelings towards the redhead, it was clear that there was no reciprocation. There never had been, it had all been wishful thinking. The Noah chuckled darkly.
It was the first time he had ever been prepared to think of someone as a lover, not just a conquest or a partner. The word and all it entailed had never before crossed his mind, no matter how many months he had stayed or how many times he had been with previous partners. There had always been something missing, though Tyki had never known what or cared enough about it to investigate. His past partners had all been satisfying in bed and there had never been a need for anything else.
With Lavi, the word 'lover' had been hovering in the back of Tyki's mind ever since the first night Lavi had slept next to him, though Tyki hadn't realized it until after their second morning together.
Now, of course, it was too late. Perhaps it was a good thing he hadn't realized sooner, or else he might have been tempted to communicate his thoughts to Lavi. If he had told Lavi any of it, Lavi's rejection would have hurt so much more than it already did.
Tyki's expression tightened in pain for a moment, but he took another deep breath and pushed the thoughts out of his mind. Lavi had already moved on. It was time Tyki do the same.
It would probably be time for dinner soon. It wouldn't take much effort to find someone who would be willing to warm his bed tonight. It didn't matter if the person was a man or a woman, just so long as they were willing.
Tyki smirked coldly and began walking again.
LINE BREAK
Alex stared into his glass, noting with some displeasure that he could see the bottom. He briefly wondered how many drinks he had already had, but then decided it didn't matter.
The whole point was to get drunk, after all. He was barely tipsy.
The party was unofficial, just a gathering of Finders and a few lower-ranked scientists in the mess hall the moment Jerry's window opened for dinner. There was booze, since no party was complete without alcohol, and someone had brought a boom box that was playing victory music. A small corner of the mess hall had been cleared to act as a dance floor and there were at least twenty people already on it. There was a lot of laughter and a lot of toasting, though the things being toasted got stupider and stupider as more drinks were passed around.
Why shouldn't they celebrate? Quite a few people had died, but they had repelled the Earl himself from the Order and lived to fight another day. Most of the people celebrating hadn't been out on the battlefield (Alex sure as hell hadn't, since he was no sniper and fists were worse than useless against Noah or Akuma), but they had seen the aftermath and had heard the stories. The Earl had run from them, scared off by God himself and an army of angels. If the rumors were to be believed, anyway.
Those that had actually fought or had lost friends were coping in one of two ways - drinking heavily to forget, or drinking heavily and throwing themselves into conversation and dancing as though that would make the loss hurt just a little bit less.
Alex snorted a laugh. Losing friends was just something you had to become used to when you were a Finder. They were all cannon fodder.
He shoved himself off the bench, wobbling dangerously as he tried to find his feet. He snatched his glass off the tabletop and began stumbling his way towards the table that had the bottles of booze. He needed another drink.
Hertz would have scolded him, but Hertz wasn't here.
"Stupid bastard..." Alex muttered to himself, nearly tripping over the bench as he reached for the nearest jug of booze. The liquid was a golden brown, probably some kind of beer, but Alex couldn't care less. He poured a generous amount into his glass, scowling a bit when some splashed over the rim. Waste of good alcohol.
He stood where he was and chugged more than half the contents in one gulp. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand when he finished, accidentally dumping the remainder onto his shirt. He frowned and set his glass down, abandoning it in favor of taking the whole jug back with him to his table.
He staggered back to his seat, waving off the girls who tried to call him onto the dance floor. Alex dropped onto rather than sat on the bench, putting the bottle heavily down on the tabletop. There was still a good amount left. He could get plenty drunk off of this.
Hertz would be scowling by now and making pointed remarks about how much Alex would regret drinking so much come morning. Hell, Hertz probably would have stopped him before he sloshed booze all over himself. Hertz would have dragged Alex off to his room to sleep it off by now.
Alex lifted the jug and took a long drink from it.
Maybe this wasn't working as well as he had hoped. He needed a different sort of distraction.
Just then, Alex heard surprised murmurs coming from the crowd of people. The words weren't audible over the music, but the tone was clear enough. Alex turned, following the gazes of his fellow partygoers, and he realized immediately what had them all excited.
Tyki Mikk was walking calmly towards the crowd, exuding confidence. The top three buttons of his white shirt had been left undone, showing a generous amount of his chest. Alex let his eyes roam over the exposed skin and then the rest of the Noah's body.
The man might be a Noah, but he was also gorgeous. His skin was a beautiful shade of olive and the stigmata were gone, leaving Tyki with the appearance of a normal human. Alex was more than willing to let himself forget for a while what the man was. Alex hadn't just been watching Lavi that night all those weeks ago. The images had stayed in his mind and right now, he really wouldn't mind seeing if Tyki really was as good as Lavi's moans had made him sound.
As an added bonus, maybe it would piss off Lavi to find out his little boy toy wasn't nearly as loyal as Lavi himself. It would be the icing on the cake if the stupid redheaded whore got hurt from finding out that his John had no qualms about finding other people to fuck.
And right now, Alex really, really wanted someone to fuck him until he couldn't remember his own name.
He took another swig from his jug and then set it back down on the table a bit more harshly than he intended. He could hear the booze sloshing about inside and stood up. He moved away from the table as gracefully as he could. He only stumbled once (or three times, but who was counting?) as he headed for the Noah.
Hertz would be warning him off doing this. Hertz would tell him that he'd hate himself in the morning. Hertz would be right, but Hertz wasn't here.
Hertz hadn't been a sniper either, but he had been a decent shot and had been one of the lucky few to get a gun and be out on the frontlines during that battle. Hertz hadn't come back, but his Finder robe had.
Alex nearly tripped over nothing and forcefully shoved the thoughts from his mind.
He really, really needed a new distraction.
LINE BREAK
Tyki surveyed the crowd as he walked closer. His presence had caused a bit of a stir, which was only to be expected, but he was fairly confident that he'd be able to find a partner for the night in short order. There had been more than one or two lingering glances and not-so-subtle once-overs from the partygoers.
He didn't want to stay here for any longer than he had to.
The sound of slightly off-balance footsteps approaching caught his attention. Tyki turned his gaze to the dark-haired Finder approaching him. Tyki felt a confident smirk stretch his lips as his expression rearranged itself into something suitably alluring. His body relaxed, stance becoming inviting. This was all old hat, something he had done far too many times before.
Tyki's eyes quickly took in the approaching Finder's appearance. Tall, broad-shouldered, definite hints of muscle under the uniform, shaggy brown hair, a passably handsome face...
He'd do.
The Finder stopped just a little bit too close to Tyki for it to be considered casual, though there was no threat in his posture. The Finder smiled and gave Tyki a slow, very obvious once over before looking up to meet Tyki eye to eye.
"Hey," the Finder said, slurring the word just a little. The man was probably a bit more than just tipsy, but seemed cognizant enough. "I don't think we've met? I'm Alex."
Tyki let his own gaze roam appreciatively over the other man's body. There was a very small, very quiet voice in the back of his head telling him that this was one of the worst ideas he'd had in years, but he crushed the thought and the kernel of guilt accompanying it. This was hardly a betrayal, since there was no one for him to betray.
"I'm Tyki," Tyki replied, lifting his gaze back to Alex's eyes. The man's pupils were dilated. Alex grinned.
"I know who you are. Who doesn't?" Alex made a show of looking over his shoulder at the on-going party. Several people were glancing surreptitiously over, though they stopped when they realized that Alex and Tyki were looking.
"This party's lame," Alex continued. "I know a better one."
Tyki raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? And where would this... party be?" He kept his tone playful, going through the motions of being interested. Alex's grin widened.
"In my room. Invitation only. Want to come?"
"Are you expecting any other guests?" Tyki asked, slowly turning towards the door and stepping to the side to let Alex lead. The Finder shook his head.
"I was thinking it'd be just the two of us."
"Sounds lov-" Tyki cut himself off, a faint scowl appearing on his face for an instant before his features smoothed back into a seductive smile. "Wonderful. Sounds wonderful."
Alex didn't notice the quick expression change or the abrupt switch in word choice. He began moving for the door, shooting a come-hither look at Tyki over his shoulder.
That had been easier than expected, but Tyki wasn't about to complain. Carefully not allowing himself time to think, Tyki followed Alex out of the mess hall.
LINE BREAK
Allen leaned over the sink, brushing his teeth. It was a bit earlier than he usually went to bed, but he was exhausted. It would be a while until he was fully recovered from the battle.
He spat out a mouthful of toothpaste foam and then continued to brush his teeth. It would probably be a while until he managed to actually fall asleep. Today had given him a lot to think about.
Like how furious Kanda had looked when Tyki had wiped off the bit of mitarashi sauce on Allen's face. Allen couldn't remember the last time he had seen Kanda so pissed off, not even when Lavi had braided his hair. Sure, Tyki's actions might have been a bit flirtatious and Kanda may have hated Tyki, but somehow that didn't quite seem to fit. It wasn't enough justification for Kanda's anger, not that the Japanese teen usually needed a lot of prompting.
Kanda had almost seemed... jealous. It was almost as though Tyki had been caught handling one of Kanda's possessions without permission.
Allen nearly choked on the thought and quickly spat out the remaining foam, lest he actually choke. He quickly turned the knobs on the sink and rinsed his toothbrush and then his mouth, trying to ignore how hot his cheeks suddenly felt.
That was ridiculous. Kanda never felt jealous and if he ever did, it would certainly not have anything to do with Allen.
The white haired boy's blush faded and he shook his head. What did he care, anyway? It's not like he wanted Kanda to be jealous. Of course not. Right.
There was the sudden sound of someone chuckling, the noise echoing oddly in the quiet room. Allen jerked his head up and spun around, but the sound cut off abruptly as he turned. His eyes quickly surveyed the area.
"Hello?" he called. "Is someone here?"
There was no answer. He waited for a minute, still scanning the small bathroom. The rest of the room was well-lit, but there was no sign of another person.
Unnerved, Allen turned back to the sink and shut off the water.
That was the other main problem that had been bothering him today. Not only was Kanda acting oddly, but for the last day or so, Allen had the strangest feeling that something was watching him. The feeling had started off so small that Allen hadn't really noticed, like a minor prickling along his skin. Now the feeling was like a lead coat, heavy and hard to shake off. This was the first time he had heard any noise where he couldn't locate the source. If he was hallucinating, it was getting worse.
He knew for a fact that he was completely alone. It was far too early for most people to be going to bed just yet and Allen hadn't heard the door open. No one had been here when he had arrived.
He swallowed heavily. Maybe he should ask the Head Nurse about it. Maybe he had taken too many hits to the head.
The chuckle came again.
Allen jerked his head up, looking in the mirror rather than turning to try and get a glimpse of the culprit. He looked into the mirror and then gasped sharply and spun around, eyes going wide and gaze darting around the room.
It remained stubbornly empty. There was no one with him.
Slowly, insides going cold, Allen turned back to face the mirror. In the reflection, he could clearly see a second figure in the room with him. According to the reflection, the second figure should be standing just behind him, practically looming over his shoulder. However, when he had turned, there had been no one there. That wasn't a good sign.
Allen turned just his head back to check behind himself for the source of the second reflection. Nothing. He swallowed heavily and turned back, leaning forward on the sink and staring into the mirror to study the image.
It wasn't really a person. It had a face, but it was dark and mostly featureless. It had two eyes, wide and white, and a perfect white crescent for a smile. There was no hair, not even the suggestion of any, just a dome. A white cloak fastened at the neck with a red bow covered the rest of the thing's body. It reminded him of something he had seen in a dream, just after one of Tyki's Tease had eaten part of his heart.
Allen kept his eyes on the reflection and reached back with one hand. If it was really here, he should be able to touch it. His hand met empty air. He dropped his arm.
"What are you? Have you been watching me?" he asked the image in the mirror. The figure didn't move. Allen scowled. "Answer me."
The image's grin grew wider and it seemed to shift. The figure suddenly had an arm where before it had just had a shapeless body. The image reached for Allen, grinning wider and wider.
/"Al-len..."/ it said. Allen tore his eyes away from the figure and quickly stepped to the side, out of sight of the mirror. He shivered, though he hadn't felt particularly cold until that moment.
The voice didn't stop.
/"Al-len Wal-ker..."/
Allen turned and hurried away from the mirror. Movement in his peripheral vision had him bringing his gaze up from the floor, but the sight of that grinning shape in the next mirror over made him increase his pace. He kept his eyes firmly on the floor after that, trying to ignore the shadow of /something/ he could see in the reflection from the tile.
Maybe he'd visit the Head Nurse tomorrow to ask if he'd had any really bad head injuries lately, one bad enough to cause this. It was quite possible that he simply didn't remember getting such a wound.
Allen could feel eyes following him the whole way back to his room. He studiously ignored the quiet whispers of his name and likewise ignored the motions in his peripheral vision whenever he passed a window.
It was hours before he managed to fall asleep, his name still ringing in his ears.
LINE BREAK
"So, was I better than he was?" The question was filled with smugness, as though the person asking already knew the answer and it was a favorable one. Tyki blinked, confused, and leaned against the headboard. He itched for a cigarette but ignored the craving. The desire was residual and would go away shortly.
"Better than whom?" Tyki asked carefully. Alex had been good, certainly, but there had been nothing about the encounter that merited a second time. It had been lacking something, though Tyki refused to consider what that something was. Empty pleasure had been good enough for him before and it would serve him well in the future.
"Lavi," Alex said simply, smirking. "That redheaded whore."
Tyki's body tensed and he bit his tongue to try and keep his first ten responses reined in. He couldn't stop the brief, enraged snarl that fought its way past his lips. Any contented feelings lingering from his recent climax evaporated in a split second. His hand twitched at his side, fingers curling with the urge to wrap around something vital and pull. A manic grin tried to tug at his lips, his darker half becoming excited by the thought of imminent bloodshed. Tyki clamped down on those reactions.
Alex was very, very fortunate that Tyki couldn't risk getting kicked out of the Black Order.
"A 'whore'?" he asked coldly, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and getting out. Alex didn't try to stop him, just laughed as though what he had said was funny.
"You didn't know?" Alex asked him. "In the last month, he's been caught with half a dozen guys and those are only the ones he was seen with. At least a dozen more have said they've had him."
Something in Tyki's chest halted at that. He ignored the sensation, trying to toss aside the anger he could feel rising. So maybe Lavi really /had/ been getting it somewhere else.
He forced himself to laugh, though he knew he didn't succeed in making it sound natural. He began gathering up his clothes and pulling them on, keeping his back to Alex so he wouldn't be tempted to murder the man. As it was, he itched to turn around and tear out vital pieces of the Finder's various organ systems one by one until the man finally died.
"What makes you think I've been with him? I've only just been released," Tyki said.
"He's been talking about what a great lay you were," Alex replied. "Why else do you think I came up to you tonight? I wanted to see for myself."
That rang false in Tyki's ears. He couldn't imagine Lavi - Lavi, who couldn't even talk dirty without blushing - sharing stories of his trysts and comparing and contrasting previous partners.
Then again, everything that had happened between them, everything that Lavi had made Tyki feel, had been a lie. Lavi was a great actor, so it was possible that his blushes and embarrassment had just been tricks. For what purpose, Tyki didn't know.
It still felt false to him. He didn't want to believe any of it, but that was simply him being in denial. Lavi himself had confirmed the existence of another partner or partners, just not the numbers.
Tyki yanked his clothes on, allowing the (potential) falsehood to lie. He wasn't supposed to care anymore.
"So? Was I better than he was?" Alex persisted. Tyki fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, but his hands were shaking too much from repressed anger to make the task an easy one. He gave up after three buttons.
"Well?"
Tyki snorted inelegantly and turned towards the door. He could practically feel Alex's smug grin drop from his face.
"I've had more satisfying sessions with my right hand," Tyki lied flatly. He opened up the door and exited the room, a real smirk tugging at his lips when he heard Alex's stunned protests. He slammed the door shut behind himself, muffling the sounds.
It might have been more satisfying to kill him, but damaging his pride was a much safer route. Tyki began heading for his room, a scowl forming on his face as Alex's words came back to him.
Had the Finder been telling the truth? It didn't seem much like something the Lavi Tyki knew would do, but had he ever really known Lavi at all?
LINE BREAK
Lavi picked at his food, staring down at his plate without really seeing it. His appetite had fled yesterday at lunch and had yet to truly return. He had managed to choke down some dinner and breakfast, but the food was all tasteless and turned to rocks in his stomach.
He half-listened to the conversation going on around him. Lenalee had just gotten out of the infirmary this morning and had joined Lavi, Allen, and Kanda for their first meal together since the battle. Lavi was vaguely certain that the only Exorcist still in the infirmary was Krory.
Lavi tried half-heartedly to spear some of his noodles with his fork. They slid around the tines, but not a single one stuck. The redhead sighed and dropped his fork. He saw Allen turn at the sound and pasted a smile on his face.
"Glad to hear Krory's feeling better," he said, seamlessly joining the conversation as though he had been paying attention all along. "Any idea when the Head Nurse will release him?"
"I think I overheard her say that Krory will be released from the infirmary a little bit later tonight. Maybe by dinnertime," Lenalee answered, smiling back at Lavi. The redhead could see a shadow behind her eyes. Whatever Road had showed her, it had had lasting effects. Lavi could see it in the way Lenalee's gaze would turn wary sometimes, as though she expected one of them to suddenly attack her and in the way she had paled when she had first caught sight of the narrow bruises encircling Allen's neck. Lavi's smile faded.
At least she hadn't broken. Lavi had lost enough lately and had few friends as it was. He didn't want to lose any of them.
Lenalee gave him a curious look. Lavi realized that his expression had gone morose and quickly forced a smile back on his face.
"That's great," he said, trying to get his tone to match his words. He didn't quite succeed and Lenalee's expression went from curious to concerned. Lavi glanced towards Allen for a moment and saw that Allen's expression mirrored Lenalee's, with an added calculating undertone. Kanda, at least, was apparently ignoring them and was seemingly absorbed in his soba.
"Lavi, are you feeling all right?" Lenalee asked. Lavi nodded quickly.
"I'm fine. Fit as a fiddle," he replied, turning his gaze to his plate as he spoke. He picked up his fork and made a show of scooping up several noodles with it. "And is it just me, or has Jerry's cooking gotten better?"
"Lavi..." That was Allen. Lavi ignored him and shoveled food into his mouth. It felt like lead going down his throat.
"Something bothering you, Red?"
Lavi tensed. He had been about to scoop up another bite of his noodle dish, but his hand froze mid-motion. He felt another presence slide onto the bench next to him and move until the man was just inside Lavi's personal space. The redhead ignored him and resumed eating.
"Excuse me, but who are you?" Allen asked politely, leaning around Lavi in order to see the newcomer.
"I'm Alex," Alex said, unwrapping his silverware and shoving his napkin aside. "Friend of Lavi's."
"Friend...?" Allen said. Lavi could feel the white-haired boy's gaze shift from Alex and back to the redhead, but ignored it. He vaguely heard Lenalee say something along the lines of 'pleased to meet you' as he turned to look at Alex. The Finder grinned smugly at him, as though he were the cat that had stumbled upon the secret stash of catnip.
"What do you want?" Lavi asked him quietly, voice flat. "If it's anything like what you wanted last time we met-"
Alex shook his head, grin widening. Lavi heard Lenalee and Allen begin talking again, though more quietly.
"Nope. I know when I've been rejected," he said. Lavi's brow furrowed in confusion. What was Alex doing here then?
Alex just continued grinning.
"You're very loyal, aren't you?" he asked conversationally. Lavi felt a brief stab of pain and turned back to his food, not wanting to dignify the question with a response. Beside him, he could hear Alex begin cutting his food into bite-size pieces.
"Pity your boy toy isn't half as loyal as you," Alex said, lowering his voice so that only Lavi could hear. Lavi drew in a sharp breath, chest constricting painfully as he understood the meaning of the words.
He gritted his teeth and forced himself to not react. His fingers tightened on his fork and he tried to stab more noodles with the tines a bit more viciously than usual. He had no right to be angry. He had no right to be jealous. He had given up those rights when he had told Tyki goodbye; there was no one else Alex could possibly mean when he spoke of Lavi's 'boy toy'.
"He didn't take very much convincing, either," Alex said, tone insufferably smug. "Maybe you just weren't that good or maybe he got tired of you?"
Lavi barely resisted the urge to shove his fork through one of Alex's eyes and ended up scraping the utensil across his plate in an attempt to act unaffected.
"Though it's hard to imagine him tired. He's got so much stamina... I can't remember the last time I was so well fu-"
Lavi slammed his fork down onto the table, drowning out the remainder of the word. He knew that the taunting was deliberate, had to be, but he didn't want to hear about how Tyki had already moved on. He didn't want to hear about the man's stamina or any of his considerable skills in bed; Lavi knew it all already. He didn't need the reminder.
He could feel all eyes on him and conversation in the immediate area seemed to have died. He didn't care.
Alex laughed, cold and harsh.
"What? Does it hurt to hear how the man you've been fucking has no problem turning around and doing someone else?"
The area of silence around them had expanded. There was no way that the others had missed what Alex had said, since the man seemed to have decided that keeping his voice down wasn't worth the effort. Lavi gathered his dishes, all still heavily laden with food, with jerky motions and moved to stand. Seeing that his target was going to walk away, Alex sent one last verbal missile towards Lavi.
"He said that he'd been shown a better time by his right hand than by you."
It wasn't the most hurtful thing Alex had said so far in this conversation, but it was the last straw. Before Lavi had realized what he was doing, he had drawn his fist back and punched Alex in the face with enough force to send him flying off the bench. Alex's head struck the ground with a loud 'thunk' before he finally came to a stop and sat up. One hand immediately went to his nose, which was very obviously broken and gushing blood.
Alex probably spoke at that point, but whatever he said was drowned out by the sudden uproar that always follows the first punch thrown in a fight. Lavi felt rather than saw the people nearest them stand up and crowd in around the group. The rest of the mess hall would probably follow soon enough, once the other diners took notice of the gathering of people. No doubt the story would spread like wildfire throughout the rest of the Order and by dinnertime, everyone would know.
Including Bookman. If Alex's taunts made it through the rumor mill intact as well, then it wouldn't take the old man even a minute to figure out what had gotten Lavi so agitated. He'd be furious. Getting angry meant that Lavi still cared. Reacting like he had meant that it was out of control.
Lavi didn't look at his friends. Allen laid a hand on Lavi's shoulder, trying to get his attention, but Lavi shook him off roughly and ignored Lenalee as she called his name. He turned on his heel and stalked away from the table. The accumulated crowd parted for him, those who had been hoping to see a fistfight dispersing as they realized that the first punch would be all they would get.
He heard Alex shout for him to stay and fight like a real man, but ignored the demand and fled.
LINE BREAK
Allen watched Lavi go, hand still outstretched from where he had tried to grab the redhead's shoulder. The Finder that had claimed to be Lavi's friend was being herded towards the infirmary, two other Finders nearly dragging him since it seemed that Alex was disinclined to leave.
"What do you think he meant?" Lenalee asked, sounding more disbelieving than confused. "He didn't mean - I mean, Lavi's not..."
"A homo?" Kanda finished for her, completely disinterested and not looking up from his soba. Lenalee's face turned red.
"It's not a problem if he is!" she protested quickly. "But... we're his friends. I thought he would have told us..." Her voice trailed off. Kanda picked up his tea and took a sip, withdrawing from the conversation once more.
Allen bit his lip, still staring at the door Lavi had disappeared through. It would be easy to write off the things Alex had said as lies, but Lavi's reaction seemed to suggest that some of what had been said was true. Lavi didn't seem like the type of man who would punch someone else just because that person had suggested that the redhead was homosexual. Not only that, but Allen had a sneaking suspicion that he knew the identity of the man Alex had accused Lavi of sleeping with.
"Who do you think it is?" Lenalee asked quietly. Allen jerked his gaze towards her, startled. She smiled tentatively at him, though her eyes were pained. Allen didn't think it was learning that Lavi preferred men that made her expression so pinched. Allen could almost imagine what was going on inside her mind. She was probably recalling the rumors that had circulated weeks ago, rumors about Lavi being caught with Tyki Mikk. Those rumors, combined with what Alex had just said, seemed a lot more credible, and Lenalee was still frightened of the Noah.
Allen managed to smile back.
"I don't know," he hedged, trying not to feel too guilty about lying. Well, it wasn't a total lie. He didn't know, he just strongly suspected. "I think I'm going to go see if Lavi needs anything." His stomach protested at cutting short his lunch, but Allen put thoughts of food out of his mind. He'd survive until dinner and he had put off talking to Lavi long enough. He quickly gathered up his plates and trays and, with a quick goodbye to Lenalee and Kanda, left the table.
LINE BREAK
Allen crept quietly into the library. He had already checked Lavi's room and had asked anyone he had passed if they had seen the redhead. Most people hadn't, but one or two had said that they had seen him heading for the library.
"Lavi?" Allen called out, voice just above a whisper. Libraries just seemed to require silence and Allen wasn't willing to really shout.
There was no response, but Allen could hear someone moving and a rhythmic 'sssh, thwack' coming from the center of the room. Steeling his nerves, Allen followed the sound. He walked quietly through a row of mostly empty bookcases, the noise growing louder as he drew closer to the middle. He stopped at the end of the row of cases, hesitant to disturb the scene before him.
Lavi stood next to one of the tables, sorting various books from a stack as tall as he was to smaller piles on top of the table. He'd take a book down from the top of the large stack and then almost slam it down onto whatever pile held other, similar books. His face was disturbingly blank, but there was an incredible amount of tension radiating from his body. His shoulders were stiff and his movements were jerky. It had to have been at least fifteen minutes since the fight in the lunchroom, but it was clear that Lavi hadn't calmed down at all.
"Lavi?" Allen said hesitantly. Lavi didn't acknowledge him. "Are you all right?"
Lavi slammed another book down and stopped, but didn't turn to face the other Exorcist. Allen took a few steps forward and then paused, unsure of himself. How should he start this conversation? What was there to say that wouldn't drive Lavi further away or hurt him even more?
"What is it?" Lavi asked, tone carefully flat. Allen winced at it and averted his eyes when Lavi turned to face him. "Why are you here?"
"I thought you might have wanted to talk about it?" Allen offered weakly, still not looking at Lavi. He shuffled his feet a bit, too nervous to hold still. Lavi chuckled, the sound only a shadow of what Allen remembered. It sounded completely hollow.
"Talk? About what? What do you want me to say?" Lavi asked bitterly. Allen had no answer. After a moment, he heard Lavi turn back to his books and begin sorting them again. "Did you come to ask me if what Alex said was true? Does it bother you?"
Allen flinched at the sudden accusation in Lavi's tone. At least it was confirmation of what the Finder had said, not that it changed the way the white haired boy saw his friend.
"No! That's not - it honestly doesn't bother me," he said, lifting his gaze to meet Lavi's. The redhead wasn't looking at him, however, and was instead staring determinedly at his books. "I think I already kind of knew, actually."
Lavi bobbed his head and then forced a smile onto his face as he turned to look at Allen. Allen frowned a bit, concerned by the cracks he could see in the redhead's expression.
"That's a relief," Lavi said woodenly. "Is that what you came to say? That you support me, no matter what?"
Allen just kept quiet and kept his eyes on Lavi's face. The forced smile soon faded and the redhead sagged a bit, exhausted by the effort. Lavi selected another book from the large stack and turned it over in his hands for a few minutes, apparently trying to figure out where it fell in his sorting system.
"We do support you, no matter who you love-" Allen began, but Lavi suddenly slammed the book down on the table, startling the white-haired boy into silence.
"Bookmen don't love," Lavi gritted out, voice so venomous Allen thought that even Kanda would have been intimidated. Allen stared, mouth open in shock, and Lavi seemed to realize what he had done. He picked up the book and put it on the nearest pile before turning his back to Allen and very carefully looking at the next several titles on the stack. Allen took a few more steps towards Lavi, a realization beginning to take shape in his mind.
"Lavi?" he asked quietly. Lavi didn't turn.
"I mean, you heard Road that time, right?" Lavi asked, voice trying to be light and failing miserably. "'A Bookman is an impartial observer'. We're not supposed to care."
"But you do, don't you?" Allen asked, already sure of the answer. Lavi didn't reply and picked up the top book and started paging through it.
"No matter who you choose to... be with," Allen said, remembering not to use the word 'love' and not certain that 'care about' wouldn't have equally violent effects. "We support you. I do, at least."
Lavi chuckled again. The sound was even hollower than it had been a few minutes ago, if that was even possible.
"Thanks, Allen," Lavi said. His voice sounded a bit more genuine, but it was heavy with some emotion Allen couldn't name. "Is that it?"
Allen hesitated. He could just leave it here, but that wasn't all he had come to say. It might be easier to leave now and cling to ignorance, but Allen never had been one to take the easy way out. Lavi had been miserable for months, long before the rumors had started. Now that he finally had a chance to talk to the redhead in private, Allen didn't want to simply abandon the opportunity.
"Has something been bothering you?" Allen asked carefully. Lavi shut the book he had been looking through and placed it on one of the smaller piles on the table before grabbing another volume from the stack.
"Nothing. Why do you ask?" Lavi said. He didn't meet Allen's eyes and his voice was just as careful as Allen's had been.
"You've seemed upset for the past few months," Allen replied. At this, Lavi did pause. Allen continued. "You don't eat much and I haven't seen you really smile in weeks. I'm worried. Lenalee's worried. I think Kanda might be too, though he never says it."
Lavi laughed at that, though the sound was just as false as his smiles. Allen's expression took on a pained note.
"Yuu doesn't worry about anyone. Worrying's for other people," Lavi replied, beginning to sort books again. "Besides, I told you, I'm fine. Nothing wrong with me. Not a thing, not a bit-"
"Does it have anything to do with Tyki Mikk?" Allen asked, cutting Lavi off mid-unbelievable-explanation. The tension in the room grew again and Lavi abruptly began moving around the tall stack of books, offering a hasty excuse of needing to find more tomes to sort. Allen darted forward and caught Lavi's sleeve, tightening his grip when Lavi tried to pull free.
"Let me go, I have to-" the redhead began, but Allen interrupted again.
"He's the one, isn't he? He's the one you've been seeing?" Allen asked gently. Lavi turned towards Allen, keeping his gaze downcast. A small, sardonic smile was on his lips.
"If by 'seeing' you mean 'sleeping with'," he replied, chuckling self-deprecatingly. He lifted his gaze, searching Allen's expression. Allen smiled thinly. "You're not angry?"
"I told you that I support you," Allen replied. His smile faded, expression turning serious again. "And as I said, I think I already knew."
To his surprise, Lavi nodded and looked away again.
"I thought you might. I did tell you that he was important to me, after all." Lavi's voice seemed distant and his expression was worn and tired. His whole body seemed to sag under an invisible weight.
"What happened?" Allen asked, trying to keep his voice encouraging but gentle. Lavi shrugged and shook his head, then looked back at Allen with another false smile.
"We got bored with each other. Moved on," he said. His voice was doing an admirable job of being chipper, but Lavi would not meet Allen's gaze straight on. Lavi shrugged again, movement just a bit too abrupt to be natural. "It happens."
"Did he break up with you?" Allen asked softly. Tyki had seemed uncertain of where he stood with Lavi just yesterday and if Tyki had been the one to do the leaving, Allen doubted that there would have been any doubt in the Noah's mind what their relationship was. Still, Lavi seemed too miserable to have willingly parted ways with the Pleasure. There was more to this story, definitely more.
Lavi shook his head.
"I told you, it was a mutual decision," he said. He tried to tug his wrist free again, only managing it because Allen had forgotten he held Lavi's arm and had loosened his grip. "I have to go; Bookman wants me to sort all the books by the end of the week-"
Allen didn't hear the rest, eyes widening in realization. Bookman. A Bookman wasn't supposed to care, but Lavi very obviously did. If Lavi had truly cared about Tyki and Bookman had found out, would the old man have forced Lavi to stop seeing Tyki?
"Was it Bookman?" Allen asked. Lavi's mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. "Did Bookman make you break up with Tyki?"
"It was mutual..." Lavi tried, but Allen could see many months' worth of pain and longing in his eye. Allen's expression softened and he could tell that Lavi knew he had seen through the lie. The redhead turned to go, but the British Exorcist wasn't done.
"It was Bookman, wasn't it? He saw how much you cared about Tyki and told you to end it?" he prodded gently. Lavi flinched and then stilled, as though rooted to the spot.
"He's my mentor," Lavi said, sounding defeated. "And he's too old to get another apprentice. I couldn't just abandon him, not after he took me in when I was a kid."
"So you left Tyki?" Allen kept his voice neutral, carefully non-judgmental and infused with as much caring as he could put into his tone. Lavi suddenly glared at him, but Allen had half-expected that.
"Why do you care? Tyki's a Noah. He's one of the Order's enemies and he's tried to kill you. Yuu hates him. Lenalee's terrified of him. Why the hell do you care?"
"People can change," Allen replied simply. "And he makes you happy. You're my friend, Lavi. I like it when my friends are happy."
Lavi's expression suddenly crumpled. Allen moved forward and placed a comforting hand on the redhead's shoulder, trying to catch his eye again.
"Lavi?" he asked. "What's wrong?"
Lavi shook him off half-heartedly and shook his head.
"He made me happy, Allen. Made me, not 'makes'," he corrected quietly. "It's over between him and me. Completely."
"If you tell him that Bookman made you, I'm sure he-" Allen started to say, but Lavi cut him off with a quick, very determined shake of his head.
"I can't go back to him, Allen. Bookman forbids it."
"Maybe you could talk to Bookman?" Allen suggested, somewhat hopefully. "This is making you miserable. Maybe he'd let you-"
"Allen," Lavi said, very firmly. The white haired boy shut his mouth. "A Bookman isn't supposed to care. At all. The old panda's turned a blind eye to the friendships I've formed here, but what I had-" He paused to swallow heavily and when he continued, his voice was thick. "What I had with Tyki, he couldn't ignore. Even if Tyki would take me back, which I know he won't, Bookman wouldn't allow me to go."
"Why wouldn't Tyki take you back?" Allen asked, somewhat indignant on the redhead's behalf. "If you explained about Bookman-"
"I said some things," Lavi replied vaguely, tone so bleak that Allen decided he didn't need to hear any more about what Lavi had said. "And Tyki has already moved on. You heard Alex."
"Alex could have been lying," Allen pointed out. Lavi shook his head.
"Even if he was, it doesn't matter. I don't think Tyki's the type to wait around in case I change my mind."
Allen bit his lower lip, not sure what to say. Lavi gave a small, awkward cough.
"Are we done?" he asked quietly. "I need to get back to work."
Allen nodded and Lavi turned to go. The white haired boy hesitated for a moment and then opened his mouth to ask one last question.
"Lavi," he called after the redhead. Lavi stopped and turned around, meeting Allen's eyes. Perhaps he could read the question Allen was about to ask in the other Exorcist's gaze, as Lavi's own eye widened and he opened his mouth to protest.
"Were you in love-?"
"Don't ask me that, Allen, please," Lavi said, voice more resigned than desperate. It was the tone of a man who already knew the answer or at least strongly suspected, but didn't want to verbalize it since nothing could be changed either way. "Just leave it alone."
Allen shut his mouth and nodded. Lavi turned away from him.
"Get out." The words could have been harsh, but were said so softly and so tonelessly that Allen didn't feel stung. He nodded and turned to go, expression growing determined once his back was to Lavi.
This was making Lavi absolutely miserable. Allen wasn't sure yet what he'd do, but he had to do something. He couldn't stand to see Lavi like this.
Allen found his way back through the bookcases, heading towards the door. As he neared it, a figure leaning against the wall next to the door caught his eye and he stopped in his tracks. His heart caught in his throat.
"Bookman...?" he said, stunned. How much of that had the man overheard? Allen's eyes narrowed a bit with righteous anger and he opened his mouth, not sure if he wanted to rant at the old man for how miserable his rules were making Lavi or plead with him to loosen the restrictions he had placed on the redhead. Did Bookman even feel remorse for what he was putting his apprentice through?
The look Bookman gave Allen was equal parts ire and exhaustion. The words stuck in Allen's throat and Bookman turned and walked slowly out of the library. Allen followed, intending to find out exactly what Bookman had heard, but by the time he reached the hallway Bookman was gone.
LINE BREAK
Tyki leaned against the wall and stared out the window of his room, eyes unfocused.
His dalliance with the Finder had been a mistake. Perhaps it was too soon, though Tyki refused to consider the ramifications of 'too soon'. There shouldn't be anything preventing him from finding someone else to occupy his bed, but it was surprisingly difficult to forget the way things had been with Lavi. Even, or perhaps especially, during the act, Tyki couldn't forget.
Alex had been the kind who enjoyed dirty talk. Alex liked things rough, more bites than nips, no kisses that didn't involve teeth, and pulling at Tyki's hair to move the Noah's head where Alex wanted it. Tyki wasn't necessarily averse to such things, but it was in stark contrast to Lavi. Lavi had liked kisses, though he had shied away from anything too gentle. Lavi had liked Tyki's mouth soft and wet on his body, not harsh and sharp.
Even the position Tyki had taken Alex in had been so different. Even that very first night, Lavi had wanted to see Tyki's face. Alex had begged for it on his hands and knees, hips in the air and head on the mattress.
Perhaps it wasn't so surprising, then, that it hadn't been Alex's name that Tyki had murmured against the man's neck during climax. Even when Tyki was trying to forget, all he wanted was Lavi.
He'd try again in a week. Maybe by then his libido would function again unhampered by wanting something it couldn't have. Maybe by then he wouldn't feel oddly guilty about taking someone who wasn't Lavi to bed. He might even be able to find someone who would completely satisfy him, though a small voice in the back of his head told him that it was unlikely he'd find someone to replace what he'd had with Lavi so soon.
There was a sudden knock on his door, hesitant and quiet. Tyki turned from the window, staring at the door in surprise. There was quiet for a minute, and then the knock came again, louder and more confident.
"Tyki? Are you there?"
Tyki scowled and shook his head, irritated with himself. Of course it wasn't Lavi. The redhead no longer had any reason to visit. He stalked over to the door and opened it, scowl fading into a slightly more polite expression.
"What is it?" he asked Allen, not really in the mood for visitors. Allen had a determined air about him and met his eyes squarely.
"I need to talk to you," he announced. "May I come in?"
Tyki briefly debated the pros and cons of refusing an Exorcist entry into his room. Sending Allen away probably wouldn't win him much confidence from the rest of the Order. Even if he wasn't in the mood for company, it was probably better to allow him in and then just get him to leave as quickly as possible.
"Very well," he said, stepping aside and opening the door wider. Allen walked in and Tyki shut the door. He turned to face the white-haired boy, noticing that Allen was looking around the mostly bare room with a curious expression. His eyes lingered on the mirror, then he seemed to pale and turned away.
Tyki raised an eyebrow.
"Well? What did you need to talk to me about?" he asked, crossing his arms. Allen took in a deep breath, as if to prepare himself for something unpleasant or painful. Tyki felt curiosity begin to stir.
"I wanted to talk to you about Lavi," Allen said quickly, as though afraid Tyki would interrupt. Tyki scowled and opened his mouth to do just that, but Allen went on. "He's miserable. I've never ever seen him this sad before."
"That's not my problem," Tyki replied, refusing to hope that Lavi's misery had anything to do with him. If the redhead was missing him, it was hardly Tyki's fault. Tyki hadn't been the one to end whatever it is that they had had. In fact, Tyki was glad Lavi was miserable. Gleeful, even. "He's nothing to do with me."
"Lavi told me about you two," Allen said, not backing down. Tyki's eyes flashed and his expression darkened. So maybe Alex had been right. Maybe Lavi really had been telling tales.
"Oh?" he asked silkily. Allen seemed surprised by his tone and nodded uncertainly. "Did he tell you all about what I used to do with him? Every sordid little detail? How, on our first night together, I used my mouth on his-"
Allen's face had gone from confused to comprehending to embarrassed in a shockingly short amount of time. He blushed violently red and waved his hands as though to ward off Tyki's words.
"No, nothing like that!" he said. Tyki stopped talking, anger deflating. He looked away from Allen for a moment, more in acknowledgement of the awkward moment than from true embarrassment.
"What did he tell you, then?" Tyki asked, trying to keep his voice casual.
"Just that you were together. None of the... details." Allen's voice paused on the last word and his blush reached the tips of his ears. He coughed and shifted, looking a bit uncomfortable.
"Does it bother you?" Tyki asked him, not really caring if it did. Allen shot him an annoyed look.
"Of course it doesn't!" He looked uncomfortable for a moment, and then averted his eyes. "I don't think there's anything wrong with it. Even if it is strange, since you're both men, but-"
Tyki held up his hands. Allen quieted. The Noah resisted the urge to smirk, just a little. He had heard an almost defensive note in the boy's tone and he doubted he had imagined it. It didn't surprise him in the least that Allen had no qualms about two men being together, not with the massive underlying sexual tension between the white haired boy and that Japanese Exorcist Tyki had sat with yesterday at lunch.
"I meant about Lavi being with me," he explained. "I was once your enemy. My first time with Lavi occurred when I was still your enemy and would have happily torn out your heart."
Allen seemed stunned by that. Tyki did allow himself to smirk at that.
"I take it Lavi didn't tell you everything, then," he said. Allen shook his head.
"No, I didn't know that, but it doesn't change anything," he said firmly. "Lavi's miserable. I think he misses you."
Tyki felt his chest constrict in sudden pain and he scowled, turning away from Allen and walking towards the window.
"Good," he said, ignoring Allen's sharp intake of breath. "I'm the best he'll ever have, so why shouldn't he be missing me?"
"Tyki-"
"He left me, or didn't he tell you that either?" Tyki snapped, turning just his head to look over at the Exorcist. Allen had a sad but understanding look on his face and a determined set to his shoulders.
"Bookman made him do that," Allen explained. "Lavi didn't want to. He regrets it, he really does."
"Ah, but I asked him the first time he rejected me if Bookman had put him up to it." Tyki chuckled lowly, shaking his head. "He said that he'd gotten tired of me and like a fool, I tried talking to him again and bring him back. He rejected me a second time. I'd be an even bigger fool to try for a third rejection."
"He was lying," Allen replied staunchly. "He cares about you a lot. I know he does."
Tyki turned his gaze back to the window.
"He has already moved on. He doesn't want me back," Tyki insisted. He clenched his jaw. Was this some sort of game? Noah-baiting? It was rather unfair of Allen to dangle what Tyki wanted most in front of him, even if Tyki didn't want to acknowledge the depth of his longing for what Allen was saying to be true. "If you're quite finished, you may show yourself out."
Allen was quiet for a moment.
"Fine. But please, Tyki, if Lavi comes to you and explains, please promise me that you'll listen to him?" Allen asked.
"If you're finished, you may show yourself out," Tyki repeated. He heard Allen sigh and then soft footsteps as the Exorcist walked towards the door. There was the squeak of old hinges and then silence for a moment.
"Tyki?"
The Noah didn't acknowledge the quiet call.
"I don't think Lavi's been with anyone since you. I just thought that you should know. Please, if he comes, just hear him out?"
Tyki didn't reply for almost a full minute. Allen had sighed again and had turned to go when Tyki's quiet voice stopped him.
"Very well."
Allen smiled.
"Thank you, Tyki." The Exorcist left, shutting the door behind himself. Tyki stared unseeingly out the window, trying not to hope.
LINE BREAK
Bookman stood on the roof of the Order, staring out at the sky. A few birds flew far overhead, mere black slashes against the blue.
He had overheard a story on his way to the lunchroom that Lavi had punched a Finder. If what he had overheard was true, then the reason Lavi had acted so uncharacteristically violent was because the Finder had apparently slept with Lavi's boyfriend and had been bragging about it. Bookman had wanted to confirm the story with his apprentice and had headed to the library when the boy had been absent from their shared room.
He had arrived at the library just in time to hear Lavi's outburst, the protestation that a Bookman didn't love. While the statement was true, since emotion got in the way of objective recording of the world's history, the amount of pain in the statement had given Bookman pause. He had stayed quietly by the door, his sensitive ears able to pick up on every word of the conversation between the two younger Exorcists.
Apparently, Lavi's feelings had not been as fleeting as Bookman had first thought. They were more deeply rooted than the old man had feared. He had suspected as much, since Lavi had shown no sign of improving despite the fact that it had been weeks since his last visit to the Noah. Bookman had been quietly watching, hoping for some sign that Lavi was getting over the ill-advised fling. Day after day after day, there had been no change. Lavi ate little, slept fitfully even though he was exhausted during waking hours, and his masks had crumbled to uselessness.
Bookman couldn't remember the last time he had heard Lavi call him 'gramps'. The affectionate nickname had been nothing but irritating at first, since affection was an obstacle for an objective observer, but now its lack was even more so.
Bookman shook the thought out of his head. It had no place there, just as Bookman and Lavi no longer had a place here. The Black Order was a dangerous place and Bookman had known that. He had been prepared to accept the physical risks, having been assured by Komui that the Supervisor would do his utmost to keep both Bookman and Lavi off of the front lines. Even after discovering that they were both compatible with Innocence, Komui had kept to his promise. Bookman hadn't expected the risks to Lavi's adherence to the Code. He hadn't expected that time here would expose the chinks in the boy's armor or the cracks in Bookman's own stone heart.
There was no helping it, even if they hadn't managed to record as much of the war as Bookman would have liked. They would have to leave as soon as possible.
Bookman sighed and turned towards the door that would take him back into the building. He paused for a moment, the image of himself walking along a road with a dead-eyed man who resembled his apprentice. For a moment, he saw silent meals by the campfire, a future free from any nicknames or affectionate gestures, and watching as the child he had known grew up to be a man without any love for history and a permanently haunted look in his eye. A man with a heart just as cold as Bookman's had been before he had met a small, redheaded child abandoned on the side of the road.
Perhaps what Lavi had had with the Noah had been a temporary thing and wouldn't last the year, but it was hard to imagine Lavi doing anything with less than his whole being. Perhaps Lavi would recover from this pain and would never turn into what Bookman had been two decades ago, but perhaps he would.
Bookman had turned a blind eye as Lavi had begun to open his heart to those at the Order. He had tried to ignore the signs that his apprentice was growing dangerously close to another person and had only confronted the redhead when he could no longer deny what was happening.
Perhaps he could give the boy a choice. One last choice. It was the only thing he could give, at this point.
TBC...
A/N: Well, that’s the end of 36! I hope you all enjoyed!
The next chapter will probably not take four months for me to write and post, but I can unfortunately make no promises. >_< Sorry about the wait!
IMPORTANT NOTE: I have a poll up on my fanfiction(dot)net profile and I would like to request that everyone votes. AGoP will be coming to an end soon and I would like to know if there is any interest in a sequel. The sequel would cover Leverrier’s plot, Allen turning into the Fourteenth, the fruition of all the Yullen hints you’ve been seeing in AGoP, and a few other things I’ll be keeping to myself for now. ^_^ The sequel will definitely be lighter in the lemon department, but hopefully just as enjoyable. Please let me know what you think!
Author: Bookkbaby
Rating: Teen
Warnings: YAOI
Summary: LUCKY Pair. It started as a simple game of poker, but a little white lie from Lavi changes everything. ['If you lose... you spend the night here, with me, and let me do whatever I want with you.']
Warnings: YAOI, which means BOYS LOVING BOYS. If you dislike that, then the back button is easy enough to find. Please click that and leave. Limes are in the future, and lemons. Maybe some OOC, spoilers for the end of the anime later on.
Disclaimer: I don’t own these lovely characters, that honor belongs to Katsura Hoshino. (Though if Hoshino-sama ever has a sale, I call dibs on Tyki… what?) I don’t own anything but a copy of the anime series and all volumes of the manga in English. Anything you don’t recognize (like the plotline of ‘A Game of Poker’) does belong to me. Everything else… not so much. Please don’t sue. I don't own the song this chapter title comes from; A Fine Frenzy's 'Almost Lover'. I make no money from it.
Beta’d by the amazing MantisReign, Niamh, and Cackles!
Dedicated in part to Cackles, since she made an awesome Lucky vid months ago to the song this chapter’s title comes from! (The song is ‘Almost Lover’ by A Fine Frenzy, which I don't own either and make no money from.) Also dedicated to Tim, since his co-workers stole his cookies.
Last Time On ‘A Game Of Poker’:
"Good. I'm glad," Lavi said, voice coming out in a whisper. He doubted Tyki had even heard him. The Noah disappeared around the corner and Lavi let himself relax. His shoulders slumped and he let out a slow, shuddering breath. He turned away from the corner Tyki had disappeared around and began walking towards his room. He needed to lie down for a while, somewhere he wouldn't be disturbed. If anyone asked, he could say that his injuries were bothering him.
He was certainly feeling hurt enough.
And Now, The Continuation
IMPORTANT NOTE: Information on a poll at the end of the chapter! Please vote, everyone!
Chapter 36
Goodbye, My Almost Lover
Tyki stalked down the hallway, a dark scowl on his face.
None of it had mattered to Lavi. Not one bit of it had meant anything to the redhead. Tyki had sacrificed his way of life, the only family he had ever known, had his powers bound for weeks so that the Order could be certain that their trust in him was not misplaced, and the person he had done it for no longer wanted anything to do with him.
Tyki's hands clenched into fists at his side.
He had nothing here, but it was already too late to go back to the Earl and ask for his old job back. He'd be killed on sight.
Tyki stopped and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. It was ridiculous to be so upset over the loss of whatever he had thought that he had had with Lavi. No matter his own thoughts or feelings towards the redhead, it was clear that there was no reciprocation. There never had been, it had all been wishful thinking. The Noah chuckled darkly.
It was the first time he had ever been prepared to think of someone as a lover, not just a conquest or a partner. The word and all it entailed had never before crossed his mind, no matter how many months he had stayed or how many times he had been with previous partners. There had always been something missing, though Tyki had never known what or cared enough about it to investigate. His past partners had all been satisfying in bed and there had never been a need for anything else.
With Lavi, the word 'lover' had been hovering in the back of Tyki's mind ever since the first night Lavi had slept next to him, though Tyki hadn't realized it until after their second morning together.
Now, of course, it was too late. Perhaps it was a good thing he hadn't realized sooner, or else he might have been tempted to communicate his thoughts to Lavi. If he had told Lavi any of it, Lavi's rejection would have hurt so much more than it already did.
Tyki's expression tightened in pain for a moment, but he took another deep breath and pushed the thoughts out of his mind. Lavi had already moved on. It was time Tyki do the same.
It would probably be time for dinner soon. It wouldn't take much effort to find someone who would be willing to warm his bed tonight. It didn't matter if the person was a man or a woman, just so long as they were willing.
Tyki smirked coldly and began walking again.
LINE BREAK
Alex stared into his glass, noting with some displeasure that he could see the bottom. He briefly wondered how many drinks he had already had, but then decided it didn't matter.
The whole point was to get drunk, after all. He was barely tipsy.
The party was unofficial, just a gathering of Finders and a few lower-ranked scientists in the mess hall the moment Jerry's window opened for dinner. There was booze, since no party was complete without alcohol, and someone had brought a boom box that was playing victory music. A small corner of the mess hall had been cleared to act as a dance floor and there were at least twenty people already on it. There was a lot of laughter and a lot of toasting, though the things being toasted got stupider and stupider as more drinks were passed around.
Why shouldn't they celebrate? Quite a few people had died, but they had repelled the Earl himself from the Order and lived to fight another day. Most of the people celebrating hadn't been out on the battlefield (Alex sure as hell hadn't, since he was no sniper and fists were worse than useless against Noah or Akuma), but they had seen the aftermath and had heard the stories. The Earl had run from them, scared off by God himself and an army of angels. If the rumors were to be believed, anyway.
Those that had actually fought or had lost friends were coping in one of two ways - drinking heavily to forget, or drinking heavily and throwing themselves into conversation and dancing as though that would make the loss hurt just a little bit less.
Alex snorted a laugh. Losing friends was just something you had to become used to when you were a Finder. They were all cannon fodder.
He shoved himself off the bench, wobbling dangerously as he tried to find his feet. He snatched his glass off the tabletop and began stumbling his way towards the table that had the bottles of booze. He needed another drink.
Hertz would have scolded him, but Hertz wasn't here.
"Stupid bastard..." Alex muttered to himself, nearly tripping over the bench as he reached for the nearest jug of booze. The liquid was a golden brown, probably some kind of beer, but Alex couldn't care less. He poured a generous amount into his glass, scowling a bit when some splashed over the rim. Waste of good alcohol.
He stood where he was and chugged more than half the contents in one gulp. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand when he finished, accidentally dumping the remainder onto his shirt. He frowned and set his glass down, abandoning it in favor of taking the whole jug back with him to his table.
He staggered back to his seat, waving off the girls who tried to call him onto the dance floor. Alex dropped onto rather than sat on the bench, putting the bottle heavily down on the tabletop. There was still a good amount left. He could get plenty drunk off of this.
Hertz would be scowling by now and making pointed remarks about how much Alex would regret drinking so much come morning. Hell, Hertz probably would have stopped him before he sloshed booze all over himself. Hertz would have dragged Alex off to his room to sleep it off by now.
Alex lifted the jug and took a long drink from it.
Maybe this wasn't working as well as he had hoped. He needed a different sort of distraction.
Just then, Alex heard surprised murmurs coming from the crowd of people. The words weren't audible over the music, but the tone was clear enough. Alex turned, following the gazes of his fellow partygoers, and he realized immediately what had them all excited.
Tyki Mikk was walking calmly towards the crowd, exuding confidence. The top three buttons of his white shirt had been left undone, showing a generous amount of his chest. Alex let his eyes roam over the exposed skin and then the rest of the Noah's body.
The man might be a Noah, but he was also gorgeous. His skin was a beautiful shade of olive and the stigmata were gone, leaving Tyki with the appearance of a normal human. Alex was more than willing to let himself forget for a while what the man was. Alex hadn't just been watching Lavi that night all those weeks ago. The images had stayed in his mind and right now, he really wouldn't mind seeing if Tyki really was as good as Lavi's moans had made him sound.
As an added bonus, maybe it would piss off Lavi to find out his little boy toy wasn't nearly as loyal as Lavi himself. It would be the icing on the cake if the stupid redheaded whore got hurt from finding out that his John had no qualms about finding other people to fuck.
And right now, Alex really, really wanted someone to fuck him until he couldn't remember his own name.
He took another swig from his jug and then set it back down on the table a bit more harshly than he intended. He could hear the booze sloshing about inside and stood up. He moved away from the table as gracefully as he could. He only stumbled once (or three times, but who was counting?) as he headed for the Noah.
Hertz would be warning him off doing this. Hertz would tell him that he'd hate himself in the morning. Hertz would be right, but Hertz wasn't here.
Hertz hadn't been a sniper either, but he had been a decent shot and had been one of the lucky few to get a gun and be out on the frontlines during that battle. Hertz hadn't come back, but his Finder robe had.
Alex nearly tripped over nothing and forcefully shoved the thoughts from his mind.
He really, really needed a new distraction.
LINE BREAK
Tyki surveyed the crowd as he walked closer. His presence had caused a bit of a stir, which was only to be expected, but he was fairly confident that he'd be able to find a partner for the night in short order. There had been more than one or two lingering glances and not-so-subtle once-overs from the partygoers.
He didn't want to stay here for any longer than he had to.
The sound of slightly off-balance footsteps approaching caught his attention. Tyki turned his gaze to the dark-haired Finder approaching him. Tyki felt a confident smirk stretch his lips as his expression rearranged itself into something suitably alluring. His body relaxed, stance becoming inviting. This was all old hat, something he had done far too many times before.
Tyki's eyes quickly took in the approaching Finder's appearance. Tall, broad-shouldered, definite hints of muscle under the uniform, shaggy brown hair, a passably handsome face...
He'd do.
The Finder stopped just a little bit too close to Tyki for it to be considered casual, though there was no threat in his posture. The Finder smiled and gave Tyki a slow, very obvious once over before looking up to meet Tyki eye to eye.
"Hey," the Finder said, slurring the word just a little. The man was probably a bit more than just tipsy, but seemed cognizant enough. "I don't think we've met? I'm Alex."
Tyki let his own gaze roam appreciatively over the other man's body. There was a very small, very quiet voice in the back of his head telling him that this was one of the worst ideas he'd had in years, but he crushed the thought and the kernel of guilt accompanying it. This was hardly a betrayal, since there was no one for him to betray.
"I'm Tyki," Tyki replied, lifting his gaze back to Alex's eyes. The man's pupils were dilated. Alex grinned.
"I know who you are. Who doesn't?" Alex made a show of looking over his shoulder at the on-going party. Several people were glancing surreptitiously over, though they stopped when they realized that Alex and Tyki were looking.
"This party's lame," Alex continued. "I know a better one."
Tyki raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? And where would this... party be?" He kept his tone playful, going through the motions of being interested. Alex's grin widened.
"In my room. Invitation only. Want to come?"
"Are you expecting any other guests?" Tyki asked, slowly turning towards the door and stepping to the side to let Alex lead. The Finder shook his head.
"I was thinking it'd be just the two of us."
"Sounds lov-" Tyki cut himself off, a faint scowl appearing on his face for an instant before his features smoothed back into a seductive smile. "Wonderful. Sounds wonderful."
Alex didn't notice the quick expression change or the abrupt switch in word choice. He began moving for the door, shooting a come-hither look at Tyki over his shoulder.
That had been easier than expected, but Tyki wasn't about to complain. Carefully not allowing himself time to think, Tyki followed Alex out of the mess hall.
LINE BREAK
Allen leaned over the sink, brushing his teeth. It was a bit earlier than he usually went to bed, but he was exhausted. It would be a while until he was fully recovered from the battle.
He spat out a mouthful of toothpaste foam and then continued to brush his teeth. It would probably be a while until he managed to actually fall asleep. Today had given him a lot to think about.
Like how furious Kanda had looked when Tyki had wiped off the bit of mitarashi sauce on Allen's face. Allen couldn't remember the last time he had seen Kanda so pissed off, not even when Lavi had braided his hair. Sure, Tyki's actions might have been a bit flirtatious and Kanda may have hated Tyki, but somehow that didn't quite seem to fit. It wasn't enough justification for Kanda's anger, not that the Japanese teen usually needed a lot of prompting.
Kanda had almost seemed... jealous. It was almost as though Tyki had been caught handling one of Kanda's possessions without permission.
Allen nearly choked on the thought and quickly spat out the remaining foam, lest he actually choke. He quickly turned the knobs on the sink and rinsed his toothbrush and then his mouth, trying to ignore how hot his cheeks suddenly felt.
That was ridiculous. Kanda never felt jealous and if he ever did, it would certainly not have anything to do with Allen.
The white haired boy's blush faded and he shook his head. What did he care, anyway? It's not like he wanted Kanda to be jealous. Of course not. Right.
There was the sudden sound of someone chuckling, the noise echoing oddly in the quiet room. Allen jerked his head up and spun around, but the sound cut off abruptly as he turned. His eyes quickly surveyed the area.
"Hello?" he called. "Is someone here?"
There was no answer. He waited for a minute, still scanning the small bathroom. The rest of the room was well-lit, but there was no sign of another person.
Unnerved, Allen turned back to the sink and shut off the water.
That was the other main problem that had been bothering him today. Not only was Kanda acting oddly, but for the last day or so, Allen had the strangest feeling that something was watching him. The feeling had started off so small that Allen hadn't really noticed, like a minor prickling along his skin. Now the feeling was like a lead coat, heavy and hard to shake off. This was the first time he had heard any noise where he couldn't locate the source. If he was hallucinating, it was getting worse.
He knew for a fact that he was completely alone. It was far too early for most people to be going to bed just yet and Allen hadn't heard the door open. No one had been here when he had arrived.
He swallowed heavily. Maybe he should ask the Head Nurse about it. Maybe he had taken too many hits to the head.
The chuckle came again.
Allen jerked his head up, looking in the mirror rather than turning to try and get a glimpse of the culprit. He looked into the mirror and then gasped sharply and spun around, eyes going wide and gaze darting around the room.
It remained stubbornly empty. There was no one with him.
Slowly, insides going cold, Allen turned back to face the mirror. In the reflection, he could clearly see a second figure in the room with him. According to the reflection, the second figure should be standing just behind him, practically looming over his shoulder. However, when he had turned, there had been no one there. That wasn't a good sign.
Allen turned just his head back to check behind himself for the source of the second reflection. Nothing. He swallowed heavily and turned back, leaning forward on the sink and staring into the mirror to study the image.
It wasn't really a person. It had a face, but it was dark and mostly featureless. It had two eyes, wide and white, and a perfect white crescent for a smile. There was no hair, not even the suggestion of any, just a dome. A white cloak fastened at the neck with a red bow covered the rest of the thing's body. It reminded him of something he had seen in a dream, just after one of Tyki's Tease had eaten part of his heart.
Allen kept his eyes on the reflection and reached back with one hand. If it was really here, he should be able to touch it. His hand met empty air. He dropped his arm.
"What are you? Have you been watching me?" he asked the image in the mirror. The figure didn't move. Allen scowled. "Answer me."
The image's grin grew wider and it seemed to shift. The figure suddenly had an arm where before it had just had a shapeless body. The image reached for Allen, grinning wider and wider.
/"Al-len..."/ it said. Allen tore his eyes away from the figure and quickly stepped to the side, out of sight of the mirror. He shivered, though he hadn't felt particularly cold until that moment.
The voice didn't stop.
/"Al-len Wal-ker..."/
Allen turned and hurried away from the mirror. Movement in his peripheral vision had him bringing his gaze up from the floor, but the sight of that grinning shape in the next mirror over made him increase his pace. He kept his eyes firmly on the floor after that, trying to ignore the shadow of /something/ he could see in the reflection from the tile.
Maybe he'd visit the Head Nurse tomorrow to ask if he'd had any really bad head injuries lately, one bad enough to cause this. It was quite possible that he simply didn't remember getting such a wound.
Allen could feel eyes following him the whole way back to his room. He studiously ignored the quiet whispers of his name and likewise ignored the motions in his peripheral vision whenever he passed a window.
It was hours before he managed to fall asleep, his name still ringing in his ears.
LINE BREAK
"So, was I better than he was?" The question was filled with smugness, as though the person asking already knew the answer and it was a favorable one. Tyki blinked, confused, and leaned against the headboard. He itched for a cigarette but ignored the craving. The desire was residual and would go away shortly.
"Better than whom?" Tyki asked carefully. Alex had been good, certainly, but there had been nothing about the encounter that merited a second time. It had been lacking something, though Tyki refused to consider what that something was. Empty pleasure had been good enough for him before and it would serve him well in the future.
"Lavi," Alex said simply, smirking. "That redheaded whore."
Tyki's body tensed and he bit his tongue to try and keep his first ten responses reined in. He couldn't stop the brief, enraged snarl that fought its way past his lips. Any contented feelings lingering from his recent climax evaporated in a split second. His hand twitched at his side, fingers curling with the urge to wrap around something vital and pull. A manic grin tried to tug at his lips, his darker half becoming excited by the thought of imminent bloodshed. Tyki clamped down on those reactions.
Alex was very, very fortunate that Tyki couldn't risk getting kicked out of the Black Order.
"A 'whore'?" he asked coldly, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and getting out. Alex didn't try to stop him, just laughed as though what he had said was funny.
"You didn't know?" Alex asked him. "In the last month, he's been caught with half a dozen guys and those are only the ones he was seen with. At least a dozen more have said they've had him."
Something in Tyki's chest halted at that. He ignored the sensation, trying to toss aside the anger he could feel rising. So maybe Lavi really /had/ been getting it somewhere else.
He forced himself to laugh, though he knew he didn't succeed in making it sound natural. He began gathering up his clothes and pulling them on, keeping his back to Alex so he wouldn't be tempted to murder the man. As it was, he itched to turn around and tear out vital pieces of the Finder's various organ systems one by one until the man finally died.
"What makes you think I've been with him? I've only just been released," Tyki said.
"He's been talking about what a great lay you were," Alex replied. "Why else do you think I came up to you tonight? I wanted to see for myself."
That rang false in Tyki's ears. He couldn't imagine Lavi - Lavi, who couldn't even talk dirty without blushing - sharing stories of his trysts and comparing and contrasting previous partners.
Then again, everything that had happened between them, everything that Lavi had made Tyki feel, had been a lie. Lavi was a great actor, so it was possible that his blushes and embarrassment had just been tricks. For what purpose, Tyki didn't know.
It still felt false to him. He didn't want to believe any of it, but that was simply him being in denial. Lavi himself had confirmed the existence of another partner or partners, just not the numbers.
Tyki yanked his clothes on, allowing the (potential) falsehood to lie. He wasn't supposed to care anymore.
"So? Was I better than he was?" Alex persisted. Tyki fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, but his hands were shaking too much from repressed anger to make the task an easy one. He gave up after three buttons.
"Well?"
Tyki snorted inelegantly and turned towards the door. He could practically feel Alex's smug grin drop from his face.
"I've had more satisfying sessions with my right hand," Tyki lied flatly. He opened up the door and exited the room, a real smirk tugging at his lips when he heard Alex's stunned protests. He slammed the door shut behind himself, muffling the sounds.
It might have been more satisfying to kill him, but damaging his pride was a much safer route. Tyki began heading for his room, a scowl forming on his face as Alex's words came back to him.
Had the Finder been telling the truth? It didn't seem much like something the Lavi Tyki knew would do, but had he ever really known Lavi at all?
LINE BREAK
Lavi picked at his food, staring down at his plate without really seeing it. His appetite had fled yesterday at lunch and had yet to truly return. He had managed to choke down some dinner and breakfast, but the food was all tasteless and turned to rocks in his stomach.
He half-listened to the conversation going on around him. Lenalee had just gotten out of the infirmary this morning and had joined Lavi, Allen, and Kanda for their first meal together since the battle. Lavi was vaguely certain that the only Exorcist still in the infirmary was Krory.
Lavi tried half-heartedly to spear some of his noodles with his fork. They slid around the tines, but not a single one stuck. The redhead sighed and dropped his fork. He saw Allen turn at the sound and pasted a smile on his face.
"Glad to hear Krory's feeling better," he said, seamlessly joining the conversation as though he had been paying attention all along. "Any idea when the Head Nurse will release him?"
"I think I overheard her say that Krory will be released from the infirmary a little bit later tonight. Maybe by dinnertime," Lenalee answered, smiling back at Lavi. The redhead could see a shadow behind her eyes. Whatever Road had showed her, it had had lasting effects. Lavi could see it in the way Lenalee's gaze would turn wary sometimes, as though she expected one of them to suddenly attack her and in the way she had paled when she had first caught sight of the narrow bruises encircling Allen's neck. Lavi's smile faded.
At least she hadn't broken. Lavi had lost enough lately and had few friends as it was. He didn't want to lose any of them.
Lenalee gave him a curious look. Lavi realized that his expression had gone morose and quickly forced a smile back on his face.
"That's great," he said, trying to get his tone to match his words. He didn't quite succeed and Lenalee's expression went from curious to concerned. Lavi glanced towards Allen for a moment and saw that Allen's expression mirrored Lenalee's, with an added calculating undertone. Kanda, at least, was apparently ignoring them and was seemingly absorbed in his soba.
"Lavi, are you feeling all right?" Lenalee asked. Lavi nodded quickly.
"I'm fine. Fit as a fiddle," he replied, turning his gaze to his plate as he spoke. He picked up his fork and made a show of scooping up several noodles with it. "And is it just me, or has Jerry's cooking gotten better?"
"Lavi..." That was Allen. Lavi ignored him and shoveled food into his mouth. It felt like lead going down his throat.
"Something bothering you, Red?"
Lavi tensed. He had been about to scoop up another bite of his noodle dish, but his hand froze mid-motion. He felt another presence slide onto the bench next to him and move until the man was just inside Lavi's personal space. The redhead ignored him and resumed eating.
"Excuse me, but who are you?" Allen asked politely, leaning around Lavi in order to see the newcomer.
"I'm Alex," Alex said, unwrapping his silverware and shoving his napkin aside. "Friend of Lavi's."
"Friend...?" Allen said. Lavi could feel the white-haired boy's gaze shift from Alex and back to the redhead, but ignored it. He vaguely heard Lenalee say something along the lines of 'pleased to meet you' as he turned to look at Alex. The Finder grinned smugly at him, as though he were the cat that had stumbled upon the secret stash of catnip.
"What do you want?" Lavi asked him quietly, voice flat. "If it's anything like what you wanted last time we met-"
Alex shook his head, grin widening. Lavi heard Lenalee and Allen begin talking again, though more quietly.
"Nope. I know when I've been rejected," he said. Lavi's brow furrowed in confusion. What was Alex doing here then?
Alex just continued grinning.
"You're very loyal, aren't you?" he asked conversationally. Lavi felt a brief stab of pain and turned back to his food, not wanting to dignify the question with a response. Beside him, he could hear Alex begin cutting his food into bite-size pieces.
"Pity your boy toy isn't half as loyal as you," Alex said, lowering his voice so that only Lavi could hear. Lavi drew in a sharp breath, chest constricting painfully as he understood the meaning of the words.
He gritted his teeth and forced himself to not react. His fingers tightened on his fork and he tried to stab more noodles with the tines a bit more viciously than usual. He had no right to be angry. He had no right to be jealous. He had given up those rights when he had told Tyki goodbye; there was no one else Alex could possibly mean when he spoke of Lavi's 'boy toy'.
"He didn't take very much convincing, either," Alex said, tone insufferably smug. "Maybe you just weren't that good or maybe he got tired of you?"
Lavi barely resisted the urge to shove his fork through one of Alex's eyes and ended up scraping the utensil across his plate in an attempt to act unaffected.
"Though it's hard to imagine him tired. He's got so much stamina... I can't remember the last time I was so well fu-"
Lavi slammed his fork down onto the table, drowning out the remainder of the word. He knew that the taunting was deliberate, had to be, but he didn't want to hear about how Tyki had already moved on. He didn't want to hear about the man's stamina or any of his considerable skills in bed; Lavi knew it all already. He didn't need the reminder.
He could feel all eyes on him and conversation in the immediate area seemed to have died. He didn't care.
Alex laughed, cold and harsh.
"What? Does it hurt to hear how the man you've been fucking has no problem turning around and doing someone else?"
The area of silence around them had expanded. There was no way that the others had missed what Alex had said, since the man seemed to have decided that keeping his voice down wasn't worth the effort. Lavi gathered his dishes, all still heavily laden with food, with jerky motions and moved to stand. Seeing that his target was going to walk away, Alex sent one last verbal missile towards Lavi.
"He said that he'd been shown a better time by his right hand than by you."
It wasn't the most hurtful thing Alex had said so far in this conversation, but it was the last straw. Before Lavi had realized what he was doing, he had drawn his fist back and punched Alex in the face with enough force to send him flying off the bench. Alex's head struck the ground with a loud 'thunk' before he finally came to a stop and sat up. One hand immediately went to his nose, which was very obviously broken and gushing blood.
Alex probably spoke at that point, but whatever he said was drowned out by the sudden uproar that always follows the first punch thrown in a fight. Lavi felt rather than saw the people nearest them stand up and crowd in around the group. The rest of the mess hall would probably follow soon enough, once the other diners took notice of the gathering of people. No doubt the story would spread like wildfire throughout the rest of the Order and by dinnertime, everyone would know.
Including Bookman. If Alex's taunts made it through the rumor mill intact as well, then it wouldn't take the old man even a minute to figure out what had gotten Lavi so agitated. He'd be furious. Getting angry meant that Lavi still cared. Reacting like he had meant that it was out of control.
Lavi didn't look at his friends. Allen laid a hand on Lavi's shoulder, trying to get his attention, but Lavi shook him off roughly and ignored Lenalee as she called his name. He turned on his heel and stalked away from the table. The accumulated crowd parted for him, those who had been hoping to see a fistfight dispersing as they realized that the first punch would be all they would get.
He heard Alex shout for him to stay and fight like a real man, but ignored the demand and fled.
LINE BREAK
Allen watched Lavi go, hand still outstretched from where he had tried to grab the redhead's shoulder. The Finder that had claimed to be Lavi's friend was being herded towards the infirmary, two other Finders nearly dragging him since it seemed that Alex was disinclined to leave.
"What do you think he meant?" Lenalee asked, sounding more disbelieving than confused. "He didn't mean - I mean, Lavi's not..."
"A homo?" Kanda finished for her, completely disinterested and not looking up from his soba. Lenalee's face turned red.
"It's not a problem if he is!" she protested quickly. "But... we're his friends. I thought he would have told us..." Her voice trailed off. Kanda picked up his tea and took a sip, withdrawing from the conversation once more.
Allen bit his lip, still staring at the door Lavi had disappeared through. It would be easy to write off the things Alex had said as lies, but Lavi's reaction seemed to suggest that some of what had been said was true. Lavi didn't seem like the type of man who would punch someone else just because that person had suggested that the redhead was homosexual. Not only that, but Allen had a sneaking suspicion that he knew the identity of the man Alex had accused Lavi of sleeping with.
"Who do you think it is?" Lenalee asked quietly. Allen jerked his gaze towards her, startled. She smiled tentatively at him, though her eyes were pained. Allen didn't think it was learning that Lavi preferred men that made her expression so pinched. Allen could almost imagine what was going on inside her mind. She was probably recalling the rumors that had circulated weeks ago, rumors about Lavi being caught with Tyki Mikk. Those rumors, combined with what Alex had just said, seemed a lot more credible, and Lenalee was still frightened of the Noah.
Allen managed to smile back.
"I don't know," he hedged, trying not to feel too guilty about lying. Well, it wasn't a total lie. He didn't know, he just strongly suspected. "I think I'm going to go see if Lavi needs anything." His stomach protested at cutting short his lunch, but Allen put thoughts of food out of his mind. He'd survive until dinner and he had put off talking to Lavi long enough. He quickly gathered up his plates and trays and, with a quick goodbye to Lenalee and Kanda, left the table.
LINE BREAK
Allen crept quietly into the library. He had already checked Lavi's room and had asked anyone he had passed if they had seen the redhead. Most people hadn't, but one or two had said that they had seen him heading for the library.
"Lavi?" Allen called out, voice just above a whisper. Libraries just seemed to require silence and Allen wasn't willing to really shout.
There was no response, but Allen could hear someone moving and a rhythmic 'sssh, thwack' coming from the center of the room. Steeling his nerves, Allen followed the sound. He walked quietly through a row of mostly empty bookcases, the noise growing louder as he drew closer to the middle. He stopped at the end of the row of cases, hesitant to disturb the scene before him.
Lavi stood next to one of the tables, sorting various books from a stack as tall as he was to smaller piles on top of the table. He'd take a book down from the top of the large stack and then almost slam it down onto whatever pile held other, similar books. His face was disturbingly blank, but there was an incredible amount of tension radiating from his body. His shoulders were stiff and his movements were jerky. It had to have been at least fifteen minutes since the fight in the lunchroom, but it was clear that Lavi hadn't calmed down at all.
"Lavi?" Allen said hesitantly. Lavi didn't acknowledge him. "Are you all right?"
Lavi slammed another book down and stopped, but didn't turn to face the other Exorcist. Allen took a few steps forward and then paused, unsure of himself. How should he start this conversation? What was there to say that wouldn't drive Lavi further away or hurt him even more?
"What is it?" Lavi asked, tone carefully flat. Allen winced at it and averted his eyes when Lavi turned to face him. "Why are you here?"
"I thought you might have wanted to talk about it?" Allen offered weakly, still not looking at Lavi. He shuffled his feet a bit, too nervous to hold still. Lavi chuckled, the sound only a shadow of what Allen remembered. It sounded completely hollow.
"Talk? About what? What do you want me to say?" Lavi asked bitterly. Allen had no answer. After a moment, he heard Lavi turn back to his books and begin sorting them again. "Did you come to ask me if what Alex said was true? Does it bother you?"
Allen flinched at the sudden accusation in Lavi's tone. At least it was confirmation of what the Finder had said, not that it changed the way the white haired boy saw his friend.
"No! That's not - it honestly doesn't bother me," he said, lifting his gaze to meet Lavi's. The redhead wasn't looking at him, however, and was instead staring determinedly at his books. "I think I already kind of knew, actually."
Lavi bobbed his head and then forced a smile onto his face as he turned to look at Allen. Allen frowned a bit, concerned by the cracks he could see in the redhead's expression.
"That's a relief," Lavi said woodenly. "Is that what you came to say? That you support me, no matter what?"
Allen just kept quiet and kept his eyes on Lavi's face. The forced smile soon faded and the redhead sagged a bit, exhausted by the effort. Lavi selected another book from the large stack and turned it over in his hands for a few minutes, apparently trying to figure out where it fell in his sorting system.
"We do support you, no matter who you love-" Allen began, but Lavi suddenly slammed the book down on the table, startling the white-haired boy into silence.
"Bookmen don't love," Lavi gritted out, voice so venomous Allen thought that even Kanda would have been intimidated. Allen stared, mouth open in shock, and Lavi seemed to realize what he had done. He picked up the book and put it on the nearest pile before turning his back to Allen and very carefully looking at the next several titles on the stack. Allen took a few more steps towards Lavi, a realization beginning to take shape in his mind.
"Lavi?" he asked quietly. Lavi didn't turn.
"I mean, you heard Road that time, right?" Lavi asked, voice trying to be light and failing miserably. "'A Bookman is an impartial observer'. We're not supposed to care."
"But you do, don't you?" Allen asked, already sure of the answer. Lavi didn't reply and picked up the top book and started paging through it.
"No matter who you choose to... be with," Allen said, remembering not to use the word 'love' and not certain that 'care about' wouldn't have equally violent effects. "We support you. I do, at least."
Lavi chuckled again. The sound was even hollower than it had been a few minutes ago, if that was even possible.
"Thanks, Allen," Lavi said. His voice sounded a bit more genuine, but it was heavy with some emotion Allen couldn't name. "Is that it?"
Allen hesitated. He could just leave it here, but that wasn't all he had come to say. It might be easier to leave now and cling to ignorance, but Allen never had been one to take the easy way out. Lavi had been miserable for months, long before the rumors had started. Now that he finally had a chance to talk to the redhead in private, Allen didn't want to simply abandon the opportunity.
"Has something been bothering you?" Allen asked carefully. Lavi shut the book he had been looking through and placed it on one of the smaller piles on the table before grabbing another volume from the stack.
"Nothing. Why do you ask?" Lavi said. He didn't meet Allen's eyes and his voice was just as careful as Allen's had been.
"You've seemed upset for the past few months," Allen replied. At this, Lavi did pause. Allen continued. "You don't eat much and I haven't seen you really smile in weeks. I'm worried. Lenalee's worried. I think Kanda might be too, though he never says it."
Lavi laughed at that, though the sound was just as false as his smiles. Allen's expression took on a pained note.
"Yuu doesn't worry about anyone. Worrying's for other people," Lavi replied, beginning to sort books again. "Besides, I told you, I'm fine. Nothing wrong with me. Not a thing, not a bit-"
"Does it have anything to do with Tyki Mikk?" Allen asked, cutting Lavi off mid-unbelievable-explanation. The tension in the room grew again and Lavi abruptly began moving around the tall stack of books, offering a hasty excuse of needing to find more tomes to sort. Allen darted forward and caught Lavi's sleeve, tightening his grip when Lavi tried to pull free.
"Let me go, I have to-" the redhead began, but Allen interrupted again.
"He's the one, isn't he? He's the one you've been seeing?" Allen asked gently. Lavi turned towards Allen, keeping his gaze downcast. A small, sardonic smile was on his lips.
"If by 'seeing' you mean 'sleeping with'," he replied, chuckling self-deprecatingly. He lifted his gaze, searching Allen's expression. Allen smiled thinly. "You're not angry?"
"I told you that I support you," Allen replied. His smile faded, expression turning serious again. "And as I said, I think I already knew."
To his surprise, Lavi nodded and looked away again.
"I thought you might. I did tell you that he was important to me, after all." Lavi's voice seemed distant and his expression was worn and tired. His whole body seemed to sag under an invisible weight.
"What happened?" Allen asked, trying to keep his voice encouraging but gentle. Lavi shrugged and shook his head, then looked back at Allen with another false smile.
"We got bored with each other. Moved on," he said. His voice was doing an admirable job of being chipper, but Lavi would not meet Allen's gaze straight on. Lavi shrugged again, movement just a bit too abrupt to be natural. "It happens."
"Did he break up with you?" Allen asked softly. Tyki had seemed uncertain of where he stood with Lavi just yesterday and if Tyki had been the one to do the leaving, Allen doubted that there would have been any doubt in the Noah's mind what their relationship was. Still, Lavi seemed too miserable to have willingly parted ways with the Pleasure. There was more to this story, definitely more.
Lavi shook his head.
"I told you, it was a mutual decision," he said. He tried to tug his wrist free again, only managing it because Allen had forgotten he held Lavi's arm and had loosened his grip. "I have to go; Bookman wants me to sort all the books by the end of the week-"
Allen didn't hear the rest, eyes widening in realization. Bookman. A Bookman wasn't supposed to care, but Lavi very obviously did. If Lavi had truly cared about Tyki and Bookman had found out, would the old man have forced Lavi to stop seeing Tyki?
"Was it Bookman?" Allen asked. Lavi's mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. "Did Bookman make you break up with Tyki?"
"It was mutual..." Lavi tried, but Allen could see many months' worth of pain and longing in his eye. Allen's expression softened and he could tell that Lavi knew he had seen through the lie. The redhead turned to go, but the British Exorcist wasn't done.
"It was Bookman, wasn't it? He saw how much you cared about Tyki and told you to end it?" he prodded gently. Lavi flinched and then stilled, as though rooted to the spot.
"He's my mentor," Lavi said, sounding defeated. "And he's too old to get another apprentice. I couldn't just abandon him, not after he took me in when I was a kid."
"So you left Tyki?" Allen kept his voice neutral, carefully non-judgmental and infused with as much caring as he could put into his tone. Lavi suddenly glared at him, but Allen had half-expected that.
"Why do you care? Tyki's a Noah. He's one of the Order's enemies and he's tried to kill you. Yuu hates him. Lenalee's terrified of him. Why the hell do you care?"
"People can change," Allen replied simply. "And he makes you happy. You're my friend, Lavi. I like it when my friends are happy."
Lavi's expression suddenly crumpled. Allen moved forward and placed a comforting hand on the redhead's shoulder, trying to catch his eye again.
"Lavi?" he asked. "What's wrong?"
Lavi shook him off half-heartedly and shook his head.
"He made me happy, Allen. Made me, not 'makes'," he corrected quietly. "It's over between him and me. Completely."
"If you tell him that Bookman made you, I'm sure he-" Allen started to say, but Lavi cut him off with a quick, very determined shake of his head.
"I can't go back to him, Allen. Bookman forbids it."
"Maybe you could talk to Bookman?" Allen suggested, somewhat hopefully. "This is making you miserable. Maybe he'd let you-"
"Allen," Lavi said, very firmly. The white haired boy shut his mouth. "A Bookman isn't supposed to care. At all. The old panda's turned a blind eye to the friendships I've formed here, but what I had-" He paused to swallow heavily and when he continued, his voice was thick. "What I had with Tyki, he couldn't ignore. Even if Tyki would take me back, which I know he won't, Bookman wouldn't allow me to go."
"Why wouldn't Tyki take you back?" Allen asked, somewhat indignant on the redhead's behalf. "If you explained about Bookman-"
"I said some things," Lavi replied vaguely, tone so bleak that Allen decided he didn't need to hear any more about what Lavi had said. "And Tyki has already moved on. You heard Alex."
"Alex could have been lying," Allen pointed out. Lavi shook his head.
"Even if he was, it doesn't matter. I don't think Tyki's the type to wait around in case I change my mind."
Allen bit his lower lip, not sure what to say. Lavi gave a small, awkward cough.
"Are we done?" he asked quietly. "I need to get back to work."
Allen nodded and Lavi turned to go. The white haired boy hesitated for a moment and then opened his mouth to ask one last question.
"Lavi," he called after the redhead. Lavi stopped and turned around, meeting Allen's eyes. Perhaps he could read the question Allen was about to ask in the other Exorcist's gaze, as Lavi's own eye widened and he opened his mouth to protest.
"Were you in love-?"
"Don't ask me that, Allen, please," Lavi said, voice more resigned than desperate. It was the tone of a man who already knew the answer or at least strongly suspected, but didn't want to verbalize it since nothing could be changed either way. "Just leave it alone."
Allen shut his mouth and nodded. Lavi turned away from him.
"Get out." The words could have been harsh, but were said so softly and so tonelessly that Allen didn't feel stung. He nodded and turned to go, expression growing determined once his back was to Lavi.
This was making Lavi absolutely miserable. Allen wasn't sure yet what he'd do, but he had to do something. He couldn't stand to see Lavi like this.
Allen found his way back through the bookcases, heading towards the door. As he neared it, a figure leaning against the wall next to the door caught his eye and he stopped in his tracks. His heart caught in his throat.
"Bookman...?" he said, stunned. How much of that had the man overheard? Allen's eyes narrowed a bit with righteous anger and he opened his mouth, not sure if he wanted to rant at the old man for how miserable his rules were making Lavi or plead with him to loosen the restrictions he had placed on the redhead. Did Bookman even feel remorse for what he was putting his apprentice through?
The look Bookman gave Allen was equal parts ire and exhaustion. The words stuck in Allen's throat and Bookman turned and walked slowly out of the library. Allen followed, intending to find out exactly what Bookman had heard, but by the time he reached the hallway Bookman was gone.
LINE BREAK
Tyki leaned against the wall and stared out the window of his room, eyes unfocused.
His dalliance with the Finder had been a mistake. Perhaps it was too soon, though Tyki refused to consider the ramifications of 'too soon'. There shouldn't be anything preventing him from finding someone else to occupy his bed, but it was surprisingly difficult to forget the way things had been with Lavi. Even, or perhaps especially, during the act, Tyki couldn't forget.
Alex had been the kind who enjoyed dirty talk. Alex liked things rough, more bites than nips, no kisses that didn't involve teeth, and pulling at Tyki's hair to move the Noah's head where Alex wanted it. Tyki wasn't necessarily averse to such things, but it was in stark contrast to Lavi. Lavi had liked kisses, though he had shied away from anything too gentle. Lavi had liked Tyki's mouth soft and wet on his body, not harsh and sharp.
Even the position Tyki had taken Alex in had been so different. Even that very first night, Lavi had wanted to see Tyki's face. Alex had begged for it on his hands and knees, hips in the air and head on the mattress.
Perhaps it wasn't so surprising, then, that it hadn't been Alex's name that Tyki had murmured against the man's neck during climax. Even when Tyki was trying to forget, all he wanted was Lavi.
He'd try again in a week. Maybe by then his libido would function again unhampered by wanting something it couldn't have. Maybe by then he wouldn't feel oddly guilty about taking someone who wasn't Lavi to bed. He might even be able to find someone who would completely satisfy him, though a small voice in the back of his head told him that it was unlikely he'd find someone to replace what he'd had with Lavi so soon.
There was a sudden knock on his door, hesitant and quiet. Tyki turned from the window, staring at the door in surprise. There was quiet for a minute, and then the knock came again, louder and more confident.
"Tyki? Are you there?"
Tyki scowled and shook his head, irritated with himself. Of course it wasn't Lavi. The redhead no longer had any reason to visit. He stalked over to the door and opened it, scowl fading into a slightly more polite expression.
"What is it?" he asked Allen, not really in the mood for visitors. Allen had a determined air about him and met his eyes squarely.
"I need to talk to you," he announced. "May I come in?"
Tyki briefly debated the pros and cons of refusing an Exorcist entry into his room. Sending Allen away probably wouldn't win him much confidence from the rest of the Order. Even if he wasn't in the mood for company, it was probably better to allow him in and then just get him to leave as quickly as possible.
"Very well," he said, stepping aside and opening the door wider. Allen walked in and Tyki shut the door. He turned to face the white-haired boy, noticing that Allen was looking around the mostly bare room with a curious expression. His eyes lingered on the mirror, then he seemed to pale and turned away.
Tyki raised an eyebrow.
"Well? What did you need to talk to me about?" he asked, crossing his arms. Allen took in a deep breath, as if to prepare himself for something unpleasant or painful. Tyki felt curiosity begin to stir.
"I wanted to talk to you about Lavi," Allen said quickly, as though afraid Tyki would interrupt. Tyki scowled and opened his mouth to do just that, but Allen went on. "He's miserable. I've never ever seen him this sad before."
"That's not my problem," Tyki replied, refusing to hope that Lavi's misery had anything to do with him. If the redhead was missing him, it was hardly Tyki's fault. Tyki hadn't been the one to end whatever it is that they had had. In fact, Tyki was glad Lavi was miserable. Gleeful, even. "He's nothing to do with me."
"Lavi told me about you two," Allen said, not backing down. Tyki's eyes flashed and his expression darkened. So maybe Alex had been right. Maybe Lavi really had been telling tales.
"Oh?" he asked silkily. Allen seemed surprised by his tone and nodded uncertainly. "Did he tell you all about what I used to do with him? Every sordid little detail? How, on our first night together, I used my mouth on his-"
Allen's face had gone from confused to comprehending to embarrassed in a shockingly short amount of time. He blushed violently red and waved his hands as though to ward off Tyki's words.
"No, nothing like that!" he said. Tyki stopped talking, anger deflating. He looked away from Allen for a moment, more in acknowledgement of the awkward moment than from true embarrassment.
"What did he tell you, then?" Tyki asked, trying to keep his voice casual.
"Just that you were together. None of the... details." Allen's voice paused on the last word and his blush reached the tips of his ears. He coughed and shifted, looking a bit uncomfortable.
"Does it bother you?" Tyki asked him, not really caring if it did. Allen shot him an annoyed look.
"Of course it doesn't!" He looked uncomfortable for a moment, and then averted his eyes. "I don't think there's anything wrong with it. Even if it is strange, since you're both men, but-"
Tyki held up his hands. Allen quieted. The Noah resisted the urge to smirk, just a little. He had heard an almost defensive note in the boy's tone and he doubted he had imagined it. It didn't surprise him in the least that Allen had no qualms about two men being together, not with the massive underlying sexual tension between the white haired boy and that Japanese Exorcist Tyki had sat with yesterday at lunch.
"I meant about Lavi being with me," he explained. "I was once your enemy. My first time with Lavi occurred when I was still your enemy and would have happily torn out your heart."
Allen seemed stunned by that. Tyki did allow himself to smirk at that.
"I take it Lavi didn't tell you everything, then," he said. Allen shook his head.
"No, I didn't know that, but it doesn't change anything," he said firmly. "Lavi's miserable. I think he misses you."
Tyki felt his chest constrict in sudden pain and he scowled, turning away from Allen and walking towards the window.
"Good," he said, ignoring Allen's sharp intake of breath. "I'm the best he'll ever have, so why shouldn't he be missing me?"
"Tyki-"
"He left me, or didn't he tell you that either?" Tyki snapped, turning just his head to look over at the Exorcist. Allen had a sad but understanding look on his face and a determined set to his shoulders.
"Bookman made him do that," Allen explained. "Lavi didn't want to. He regrets it, he really does."
"Ah, but I asked him the first time he rejected me if Bookman had put him up to it." Tyki chuckled lowly, shaking his head. "He said that he'd gotten tired of me and like a fool, I tried talking to him again and bring him back. He rejected me a second time. I'd be an even bigger fool to try for a third rejection."
"He was lying," Allen replied staunchly. "He cares about you a lot. I know he does."
Tyki turned his gaze back to the window.
"He has already moved on. He doesn't want me back," Tyki insisted. He clenched his jaw. Was this some sort of game? Noah-baiting? It was rather unfair of Allen to dangle what Tyki wanted most in front of him, even if Tyki didn't want to acknowledge the depth of his longing for what Allen was saying to be true. "If you're quite finished, you may show yourself out."
Allen was quiet for a moment.
"Fine. But please, Tyki, if Lavi comes to you and explains, please promise me that you'll listen to him?" Allen asked.
"If you're finished, you may show yourself out," Tyki repeated. He heard Allen sigh and then soft footsteps as the Exorcist walked towards the door. There was the squeak of old hinges and then silence for a moment.
"Tyki?"
The Noah didn't acknowledge the quiet call.
"I don't think Lavi's been with anyone since you. I just thought that you should know. Please, if he comes, just hear him out?"
Tyki didn't reply for almost a full minute. Allen had sighed again and had turned to go when Tyki's quiet voice stopped him.
"Very well."
Allen smiled.
"Thank you, Tyki." The Exorcist left, shutting the door behind himself. Tyki stared unseeingly out the window, trying not to hope.
LINE BREAK
Bookman stood on the roof of the Order, staring out at the sky. A few birds flew far overhead, mere black slashes against the blue.
He had overheard a story on his way to the lunchroom that Lavi had punched a Finder. If what he had overheard was true, then the reason Lavi had acted so uncharacteristically violent was because the Finder had apparently slept with Lavi's boyfriend and had been bragging about it. Bookman had wanted to confirm the story with his apprentice and had headed to the library when the boy had been absent from their shared room.
He had arrived at the library just in time to hear Lavi's outburst, the protestation that a Bookman didn't love. While the statement was true, since emotion got in the way of objective recording of the world's history, the amount of pain in the statement had given Bookman pause. He had stayed quietly by the door, his sensitive ears able to pick up on every word of the conversation between the two younger Exorcists.
Apparently, Lavi's feelings had not been as fleeting as Bookman had first thought. They were more deeply rooted than the old man had feared. He had suspected as much, since Lavi had shown no sign of improving despite the fact that it had been weeks since his last visit to the Noah. Bookman had been quietly watching, hoping for some sign that Lavi was getting over the ill-advised fling. Day after day after day, there had been no change. Lavi ate little, slept fitfully even though he was exhausted during waking hours, and his masks had crumbled to uselessness.
Bookman couldn't remember the last time he had heard Lavi call him 'gramps'. The affectionate nickname had been nothing but irritating at first, since affection was an obstacle for an objective observer, but now its lack was even more so.
Bookman shook the thought out of his head. It had no place there, just as Bookman and Lavi no longer had a place here. The Black Order was a dangerous place and Bookman had known that. He had been prepared to accept the physical risks, having been assured by Komui that the Supervisor would do his utmost to keep both Bookman and Lavi off of the front lines. Even after discovering that they were both compatible with Innocence, Komui had kept to his promise. Bookman hadn't expected the risks to Lavi's adherence to the Code. He hadn't expected that time here would expose the chinks in the boy's armor or the cracks in Bookman's own stone heart.
There was no helping it, even if they hadn't managed to record as much of the war as Bookman would have liked. They would have to leave as soon as possible.
Bookman sighed and turned towards the door that would take him back into the building. He paused for a moment, the image of himself walking along a road with a dead-eyed man who resembled his apprentice. For a moment, he saw silent meals by the campfire, a future free from any nicknames or affectionate gestures, and watching as the child he had known grew up to be a man without any love for history and a permanently haunted look in his eye. A man with a heart just as cold as Bookman's had been before he had met a small, redheaded child abandoned on the side of the road.
Perhaps what Lavi had had with the Noah had been a temporary thing and wouldn't last the year, but it was hard to imagine Lavi doing anything with less than his whole being. Perhaps Lavi would recover from this pain and would never turn into what Bookman had been two decades ago, but perhaps he would.
Bookman had turned a blind eye as Lavi had begun to open his heart to those at the Order. He had tried to ignore the signs that his apprentice was growing dangerously close to another person and had only confronted the redhead when he could no longer deny what was happening.
Perhaps he could give the boy a choice. One last choice. It was the only thing he could give, at this point.
TBC...
A/N: Well, that’s the end of 36! I hope you all enjoyed!
The next chapter will probably not take four months for me to write and post, but I can unfortunately make no promises. >_< Sorry about the wait!
IMPORTANT NOTE: I have a poll up on my fanfiction(dot)net profile and I would like to request that everyone votes. AGoP will be coming to an end soon and I would like to know if there is any interest in a sequel. The sequel would cover Leverrier’s plot, Allen turning into the Fourteenth, the fruition of all the Yullen hints you’ve been seeing in AGoP, and a few other things I’ll be keeping to myself for now. ^_^ The sequel will definitely be lighter in the lemon department, but hopefully just as enjoyable. Please let me know what you think!