[Preview] Call Me 'Allen'
Fandom: D. Gray Man
Character(s): Allen, Kanda, Lavi, Lenalee (the OT4~)
Pairing(s): None. I wrote this looking for friendship. Don’t know if it’ll stay that way, but pairings weren’t my intent in this.
Genre: Friendship/Angst
Rating: T for mentions of violence.
Summary: they were friends, right? At least in some form or another.
A/N: inspired by the most recent chapter of DGM, so yes SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT. But this is also a fair bit of speculation. As in originally this idea was going to stop at 4 pages (which is what you see here, as a preview), but then I got a nasty little idea of 'What if' and wanted to see how far I could run with it. Considering this is a preview and I haven't touched the fic in a few days: PLEASE COMMENT they give me motivation. I swear! (oh though don't if you haven't read the most recent chapter. I don't wanna give away accidental spoilers to anyone who's sensitive to them)
For: a1y_puff since she, too, mentioned wanting to write a fanfic based off this chapter. Inspiration, if you will.
- - - (Library, Black Order) - - -
"He got hurt." Lavi blinked and looked up, eye widening.
"What? Who?"
"He--Wal--Moyashi...got hurt."
Lavi blinked again and sighed, leaning back in his chair,"Yeah, yeah he did." He could work on paperwork later if he wanted to, "Turned his skin gray and everything Yuu-chan. Smart move, don't cha think?" He should have been worried when Kanda didn't make a move to draw Mugen. Maybe because Mugen wasn't even there to begin with. Books be damned, Lavi sighed again and leaned forward, kicking at the leg of the table, "Look, m'not going to cherry coat it and say Allen forgives you." Even if that was most likely the case, "but m'not going to let you beat yourself up because of it. He isn't mad."
"He's unconscious." Lavi flinched and Kanda continued to look at the desk, tracing the patterns in the wood, "You saw him. Lenalee --"
"Hasn't left his side since. Yeah, I know. Komui didn't throw a fit. It's a first but you know she likes him." Somehow that made Kanda's face even worse--more drawn, and Lavi did not want that, "But that doesn't mean he won't wake up!"
"And when he does then what?" The words were scathing and barely a question, "He's essentially a Noah now." For all intents and purposes. His skin hadn't reverted back. But--
"That doesn't mean he isn't still Allen y'know." Kanda still wouldn't look at him, and for a while an uneasy silence passed between them, "Neh, Yuu?"
"What?"
"Wanna go visit Allen with me?"
- - - (A Few Minutes Later, Medical Wing: Allen's room) - - -
"Oh, Lavi!" Lavi forced a smile on his face when he stepped through the door, the scent of many strong medicines hitting him dead on. But he ignored it, instead focusing on the slightly blotchy eyes in front of him, "Are you here to see All...en again?" He ignored the painful hitch in her breath and nodded.
"How's he doing?" Whispering was a must. He didn't want to startle her anymore than he already had.
"Oh! They said he was slightly responsive when they did a few tests." She attempted to smile, but a sad smile was almost worse than a frown in Lavi's opinion, "I-It seems his new...addition..." Her eyes half lidded as they landed on Allen's newly acquired scars, but Lavi knew that's not what she meant, "has...helped with his healing." She finished, swallowing.
"Well that's a good thing."
Lenalee looked just about ready to respond, but it seemed a certain someone had more to say than she did, "No it isn't." Lavi flinched as Kanda stepped into the room. Things had been going so smoothly, "Tch the idiot Moyashi isn't even fucking up yet."
"Kanda!" Lavi could hear a half-sob hidden in Lenalee's voice, "Allen doesn't need that right now."
"He can't fucking hear me."
"Yes he can. He's been responsive to voices! T-To certain...phrases..." Kanda frowned and Lavi sighed. This definitely wasn't meant to happen. Really.
"Like what?" He cut in, giving Kanda a sharp glare, "If he's responsive that means he can hear us, right? That way we can communicate at least a little?" He stepped closer and Lenalee tensed, hand shooting out to grab Allen's hand. Lavi could've sworn he saw the fingers twitch. "Can you...show us?"
Lenalee swallowed and squeezed Allen's hand harder. This time, the fingers made an attempt to twine with hers, "H-He recognizes when you hold his hand. O-Or when you say certain things. If you ask him if he's hungry," Lenalee smiled a little and looked towards Allen's face, "sometimes he'll smile."
Kanda snorted, "What kind of reaction is that?"
"Well, Yuu, if y'haven't noticed, Allen really likes--"
"Food. Yes. I know that." But he still sounded bitter, "Not that it fucking helps him any. He'll still be a Moyashi." At the leer Lavi was nearly certain the smile gracing Allen's lips turned to a frown, and did his left eye twitch a little?
"Kanda, we really don't need that right now."
"And why the fuck not? You tried being nice and it didn't fucking work." Lavi opened his mouth to say something but never got the chance, "Tch, figures the Moyashi would do something like that. Always worrying other people and not doing a damn thing to help." He shot a particularly scathing glance at Allen's still (but now very much frowning) form, "Weakling."
"Kanda!" Lenalee was standing now, eyes blazing, "He can't even hear you! Don't you dare say something like that!"
Oh...Oh Crap. Lavi took two safe steps backward, ready to hightail it and grab a nurse if it got too bad.
"Didn't you just say he could?" Lenalee swallowed.
"Well I'd hope he couldn't hear you. You spoke out of line. Apologize."
"Why the fuck do I have to. He's --inanimate. An Inanimate beansprout is worse than one that can fucking grow." Lenalee's eyes widened, and in a split second Kanda mimicked her expression.
"Wh-what did you say?" Kanda turned to the side, "K-Kanda did you just say you wanted Allen to wake up?"
"No." The response was clipped and short, "He's less annoying this way." But he didn't quite sound like he meant it, and Lenalee's face had softened considerably since he entered the room.
Lavi relaxed, marginally, as well, "Neh, neh, he might be but you want him awake just like the rest of us do." Secret Knowledge of the origins of their visit aside, Lavi's lips stretched to a familiar grin, "Neh, did you hear that All-en! Even Yuu-chan wants you back! You have to wake up now!"
Kanda didn't say anything in response, he simply glared--and glared--and glared--"Don't put words in my fucking mouth, stupid Rabbit."
"But I'm not!" For once, "You want 'im to be up when you apologize, right?"
"Like hell I'd apologize to a Moyashi like him." It was almost ridiculous at this point, even Lenalee was stifling a few choice giggles. Lavi wasn't that kind--he was outright laughing now.
"Sure, what? Cuz he's too small to understand it? C'mon Yuu, that's old." Maybe he'd pressed a few more buttons than he needed to, but the stitch in his side wasn't going away and he was too sure he'd opened a few minor wounds from how hard he was laughing. But he didn't care--of course he didn't care.
Even Kanda couldn't seem to keep quite the straight face, "Tch, your point? He's the Moyashi. What else would he be?"
"Lots of things." Lavi grabbed onto the nearest object to support himself, "I mean...you know that, don't cha? He's not just the Moyashi, even if tha's a cute little pet name." Kanda bristled, "Y'could try calling him by name, for once."
Kanda's eyes skittered over to the bed, eyes narrowing. "Tch, why would I give him the time of day?"
"Because."
"--Or is that something else you'll be waiting to say for when Allen wakes up?" Lenalee cut him off, smiling. "That's really sweet, Kanda. I didn't know you cared."
Kanda looked horrified. Or as much as he'd let himself, "Because I don't." The harmless look turned to a glare and Kanda growled, "Stupid Moyashi."
Upon recollection, Lavi's eye would have buldged out of its socket, he was sure, if he hadn't been laughing so hard. Yes he'd seen that frown turn to a smile, but he'd thought nothing of the ease of it. Nor the way Allen's hands were now gripping the bedsheets instead of Lenalee's hands. So when--when those lips moved, words sluggish and only half audible--
"s'Allen."
Well. They hadn't been expecting that. He hadn't been expecting that.
Even if it could have been mistaken for breath and their hopeful imaginations.