A While Longer
Title: A While Longer
Author’s Name: Saya-Sama
Requester’s Name: intrepidxx
Pairing or Character: Rabi/Linali
Rating: PG and fluffy <3, and a lil' angst if you look at it right. (Or maybe it's the other way around?)
Squicks/Spoilers: Well...slight spoilers about Cross, Don’t read if you haven’t read recent chapters. Like 133+
Author’s Note: Sorry this took so long...and that it’s short....But Saya tried....She did! She hopes you enjoy this!
A While Longer
When Cross (some-what willingly) Came back to the Black Order’s Head Quarters after the Ark episode, the entire place came alive. Everyone was excited, and many rumors went around about why Cross would suddenly decide to come back. He refused to disclose any information on the matter, however. He refused to speak to just about everyone in the castle, seeing as most of them were dirty people of the male persuasion. Well, they were only dirty compared to Cross’ high standard of hygiene and cleanliness. He discussed things with Komui and the others in the Science department because he had to, it was why he’d come back, after all. Some information cannot be revealed on even the most secure of telephone lines. He also had a very annoying meeting with his superiors, which he’d been avoiding for about 4 years now....
He was mysterious, no one knew much about the General, except for Allen and a few higher-ups, and Allen would hide in the nearest dark room anytime some dared to ask him about his Master. Rabi couldn’t help but watch the man with a small amount of contempt anytime Cross walked by. The man was like an older, cockier version of himself, in quite a few ways.
Appearance-wise, they both had the same, fiery red hair, though Cross’ was a few shades darker and much longer. And it would seem both of them have some reason to hide their right eyes. Lavi was sure that, considering what his weapon was, he could and would one day build up all the muscles in his upper body as the older red head had done, and his height rivaled Cross’ already, just a few inches more...
And of course, personality-wise, the only difference was Cross’ obsession with sanitation, and just how serious he was about skirt-chasing.
Still, despite all of these similarities, he was still an unknown, and that made people interested in him, that made people watch him, it made people inspect him. People like Lenalee, who were curious and naturally friendly to even the most frigid of people. Oh how Lavi despised the mysterious air surrounding Cross that made Lenalee look at him any chance she got with just a bit more than curiosity. Well, maybe it wasn’t, but to Lavi it was.
It had been a while since Lavi realized he had feelings for Lenalee, and he denied it for as long as he could, but it was exhausting to do, not to mention distracting, and he gave up on the task fairly easily. He liked her above others for one simply reason: she was absolutely human, and she wasn’t afraid to show it. Most people of the Order were guarded, they tried to make themselves out to be stronger than they were, they tried to steel themselves against the horrors they faced, they tried not to show their hearts on their sleeves. They often failed. And while, yes, everyone in the Tower and Order were definitely human in the physical sense, they all tried to hide that fact, they tried to hide their human weakness. And of all the people in the Order who play pretend, there was no one who did so more than he. Lavi couldn’t have human emotions, he couldn’t have those weaknesses, he was above and beyond them. Well, he was supposed to be.
That’s why Lenalee was so precious, because she didn’t try to hide a thing, when she wanted to cry, she did, when she was angry you knew it, and when she was happy her smile shone brighter than any of the stars that littered the velvety expanse of night sky. Lenalee didn’t just pretend to be strong, she was, she was strong enough to let her weaknesses lie exposed. She was different, she was what he wanted so badly to be, but wasn’t, she was what he couldn’t be.
000
Lenalee walked around the Castle on weak legs; it felt wrong to her, to have such shaky, unreliable legs, she was supposed to stand up strongly, steadily, not shaking like a newborn fawn. Even though she wobbled and often fell, she refused to allow herself to just sit around and do nothing, and she wouldn’t let herself be confined to a god-damned chair for even a day. Lenalee was determined to walk on her own, to recreate her old strength, and then surpass it. The Earl wasn’t gone yet, she still needed to be able to fight.
However, at the moment, she was not faced with the Earl, but instead a very, very steep staircase, and she knew that falling down these would probably injure her further, and hinder her progress more. Still, she had to try, if she could do it, then that was one obstacle cleared.
Carefully, she lowered one foot to the first step, then the other, repeating the pattern again and again as she made her way down the stairs. ‘So far, so good.’ She thought, as she made it half way down the staircase. The strain on her legs was painful, but what hurt more was that something like this could tire her out at all, she still wasn’t used to being so feeble, she didn’t like it. She sat on the stairs for a moment, allowing herself to catch her breath.
From behind the bend in the wall, Lavi watched Lenalee make her way slowly down the stairs. It had been pure coincidence that he’d happened upon the scene, but now that he was there, he wanted to make sure that she made it all the way down safely. He didn’t want to interrupt her though, this was her own personal battle, he had no right to interfere with it. He admired how she kept trying even though her body clearly wasn’t up for the challenge.
Lenalee got up as soon as she had the energy, starting down the stairs with renewed confidence; she could do this, no problem!
And that seemed to be the case, but just as she began to think she had been successful, whatever deity that had been looking over her had decided to take a break, and Fate had been laying in wait for a chance to spite the poor girl. She was on the last ten steps, and though she was once again tired, she was proud of the fact that she’d made it so far. But then her foot hit the next step the wrong way and she was going down, readying herself for the pain that was sure to come. A pain that never did.
Both Lenalee and Lavi were surprised to see that Cross had been the one to catch her. Where the heck had he come from? Lavi hadn’t noticed him at all! Lavi decided that instead of just standing in the hall and looking like an idiot, he’d make sure Lenalee was alright.
She was flushed when he reached her, though whether it was because she was embarrassed that two red heads had seen her fall, or if it was because Cross was still holding her, Lavi couldn’t tell. ‘you can let go of her now, you lolicon lecher.....’
“Are you alright, Lenalee?” he asked, masking his anger (and that raging jealousy...) with his worry. Cross carried her the rest of the way down the stairs, before chastising her lightly about not trying foolish things. With the way he treated Lenalee, one could hardly believe he was the one who’d made Allen suffer through so much childhood trauma.....
000
Cross may have only one eye to see with, but he was a far cry from blind. It was obvious that the other red head, Lavi, had a thing for Lenalee, and Cross knew he was the Bookman’s apprentice so he couldn’t exactly act on his feelings. Cross also could see that Lavi considered him a rival. Now, any other time, it would’ve been a fun game to fight over a woman and eventually win, as he always did. But Lenalee was Komui’s sister, and Cross didn’t want the headache. Komui was a scary mo-fo when his precious sister was on the line. He could probably take down the Earl with nothing but his insane drill, if someone told him that Lenalee was getting married to that marshmallow man.
Seeing as the girl was in good hands with the hammer-wielder around, Cross deposited the feather-light girl in his arms and left, throwing a “have fun kiddies” over his shoulder in his usual superior and ever-so-slightly suggestive way, that always managed to embarrass people and grate on their nerves at the same time.
'"Have fun”, he says.....sheesh.’
“Um...Lavi....” Lenalee was slowly turning red; Lavi hadn’t put her down yet. “You can put me down now...I can walk you know.” Lavi looked down, realizing that he was in fact still holding the other. He thought that it would be better for his health to put her down then, because any moment now and insane scientist would come to kill him if he didn’t. However, he didn’t want to. He couldn’t blatantly hug her anytime he wanted to, for fear of Komui, and he couldn’t just out-right tell her how he felt, because he wasn’t supposed to feel, period. Fateful little coincidences like this were all he had, really. He couldn’t say it out loud, but if he could let her know.
“A little while longer...” He felt dumb saying this, but with all his foolish acts, he hardly registered that anymore. “Let me stay like this a while longer.” Lenalee was a brilliant girl, yes, but she couldn’t quite comprehend what she saw swimming through the other’s lone eye. She wanted to though, she really did. Maybe, if she could look at him just a while longer, she could. One hand rose slowly from her side to rest over his cheek, a barely-there pressure that was somehow enough to fully turn his face to her. He saw as the sweet smile that he loved so much spread over her feature.
“Yes, just a while longer.”
Author’s Name: Saya-Sama
Requester’s Name: intrepidxx
Pairing or Character: Rabi/Linali
Rating: PG and fluffy <3, and a lil' angst if you look at it right. (Or maybe it's the other way around?)
Squicks/Spoilers: Well...slight spoilers about Cross, Don’t read if you haven’t read recent chapters. Like 133+
Author’s Note: Sorry this took so long...and that it’s short....But Saya tried....She did! She hopes you enjoy this!
A While Longer
When Cross (some-what willingly) Came back to the Black Order’s Head Quarters after the Ark episode, the entire place came alive. Everyone was excited, and many rumors went around about why Cross would suddenly decide to come back. He refused to disclose any information on the matter, however. He refused to speak to just about everyone in the castle, seeing as most of them were dirty people of the male persuasion. Well, they were only dirty compared to Cross’ high standard of hygiene and cleanliness. He discussed things with Komui and the others in the Science department because he had to, it was why he’d come back, after all. Some information cannot be revealed on even the most secure of telephone lines. He also had a very annoying meeting with his superiors, which he’d been avoiding for about 4 years now....
He was mysterious, no one knew much about the General, except for Allen and a few higher-ups, and Allen would hide in the nearest dark room anytime some dared to ask him about his Master. Rabi couldn’t help but watch the man with a small amount of contempt anytime Cross walked by. The man was like an older, cockier version of himself, in quite a few ways.
Appearance-wise, they both had the same, fiery red hair, though Cross’ was a few shades darker and much longer. And it would seem both of them have some reason to hide their right eyes. Lavi was sure that, considering what his weapon was, he could and would one day build up all the muscles in his upper body as the older red head had done, and his height rivaled Cross’ already, just a few inches more...
And of course, personality-wise, the only difference was Cross’ obsession with sanitation, and just how serious he was about skirt-chasing.
Still, despite all of these similarities, he was still an unknown, and that made people interested in him, that made people watch him, it made people inspect him. People like Lenalee, who were curious and naturally friendly to even the most frigid of people. Oh how Lavi despised the mysterious air surrounding Cross that made Lenalee look at him any chance she got with just a bit more than curiosity. Well, maybe it wasn’t, but to Lavi it was.
It had been a while since Lavi realized he had feelings for Lenalee, and he denied it for as long as he could, but it was exhausting to do, not to mention distracting, and he gave up on the task fairly easily. He liked her above others for one simply reason: she was absolutely human, and she wasn’t afraid to show it. Most people of the Order were guarded, they tried to make themselves out to be stronger than they were, they tried to steel themselves against the horrors they faced, they tried not to show their hearts on their sleeves. They often failed. And while, yes, everyone in the Tower and Order were definitely human in the physical sense, they all tried to hide that fact, they tried to hide their human weakness. And of all the people in the Order who play pretend, there was no one who did so more than he. Lavi couldn’t have human emotions, he couldn’t have those weaknesses, he was above and beyond them. Well, he was supposed to be.
That’s why Lenalee was so precious, because she didn’t try to hide a thing, when she wanted to cry, she did, when she was angry you knew it, and when she was happy her smile shone brighter than any of the stars that littered the velvety expanse of night sky. Lenalee didn’t just pretend to be strong, she was, she was strong enough to let her weaknesses lie exposed. She was different, she was what he wanted so badly to be, but wasn’t, she was what he couldn’t be.
000
Lenalee walked around the Castle on weak legs; it felt wrong to her, to have such shaky, unreliable legs, she was supposed to stand up strongly, steadily, not shaking like a newborn fawn. Even though she wobbled and often fell, she refused to allow herself to just sit around and do nothing, and she wouldn’t let herself be confined to a god-damned chair for even a day. Lenalee was determined to walk on her own, to recreate her old strength, and then surpass it. The Earl wasn’t gone yet, she still needed to be able to fight.
However, at the moment, she was not faced with the Earl, but instead a very, very steep staircase, and she knew that falling down these would probably injure her further, and hinder her progress more. Still, she had to try, if she could do it, then that was one obstacle cleared.
Carefully, she lowered one foot to the first step, then the other, repeating the pattern again and again as she made her way down the stairs. ‘So far, so good.’ She thought, as she made it half way down the staircase. The strain on her legs was painful, but what hurt more was that something like this could tire her out at all, she still wasn’t used to being so feeble, she didn’t like it. She sat on the stairs for a moment, allowing herself to catch her breath.
From behind the bend in the wall, Lavi watched Lenalee make her way slowly down the stairs. It had been pure coincidence that he’d happened upon the scene, but now that he was there, he wanted to make sure that she made it all the way down safely. He didn’t want to interrupt her though, this was her own personal battle, he had no right to interfere with it. He admired how she kept trying even though her body clearly wasn’t up for the challenge.
Lenalee got up as soon as she had the energy, starting down the stairs with renewed confidence; she could do this, no problem!
And that seemed to be the case, but just as she began to think she had been successful, whatever deity that had been looking over her had decided to take a break, and Fate had been laying in wait for a chance to spite the poor girl. She was on the last ten steps, and though she was once again tired, she was proud of the fact that she’d made it so far. But then her foot hit the next step the wrong way and she was going down, readying herself for the pain that was sure to come. A pain that never did.
Both Lenalee and Lavi were surprised to see that Cross had been the one to catch her. Where the heck had he come from? Lavi hadn’t noticed him at all! Lavi decided that instead of just standing in the hall and looking like an idiot, he’d make sure Lenalee was alright.
She was flushed when he reached her, though whether it was because she was embarrassed that two red heads had seen her fall, or if it was because Cross was still holding her, Lavi couldn’t tell. ‘you can let go of her now, you lolicon lecher.....’
“Are you alright, Lenalee?” he asked, masking his anger (and that raging jealousy...) with his worry. Cross carried her the rest of the way down the stairs, before chastising her lightly about not trying foolish things. With the way he treated Lenalee, one could hardly believe he was the one who’d made Allen suffer through so much childhood trauma.....
000
Cross may have only one eye to see with, but he was a far cry from blind. It was obvious that the other red head, Lavi, had a thing for Lenalee, and Cross knew he was the Bookman’s apprentice so he couldn’t exactly act on his feelings. Cross also could see that Lavi considered him a rival. Now, any other time, it would’ve been a fun game to fight over a woman and eventually win, as he always did. But Lenalee was Komui’s sister, and Cross didn’t want the headache. Komui was a scary mo-fo when his precious sister was on the line. He could probably take down the Earl with nothing but his insane drill, if someone told him that Lenalee was getting married to that marshmallow man.
Seeing as the girl was in good hands with the hammer-wielder around, Cross deposited the feather-light girl in his arms and left, throwing a “have fun kiddies” over his shoulder in his usual superior and ever-so-slightly suggestive way, that always managed to embarrass people and grate on their nerves at the same time.
'"Have fun”, he says.....sheesh.’
“Um...Lavi....” Lenalee was slowly turning red; Lavi hadn’t put her down yet. “You can put me down now...I can walk you know.” Lavi looked down, realizing that he was in fact still holding the other. He thought that it would be better for his health to put her down then, because any moment now and insane scientist would come to kill him if he didn’t. However, he didn’t want to. He couldn’t blatantly hug her anytime he wanted to, for fear of Komui, and he couldn’t just out-right tell her how he felt, because he wasn’t supposed to feel, period. Fateful little coincidences like this were all he had, really. He couldn’t say it out loud, but if he could let her know.
“A little while longer...” He felt dumb saying this, but with all his foolish acts, he hardly registered that anymore. “Let me stay like this a while longer.” Lenalee was a brilliant girl, yes, but she couldn’t quite comprehend what she saw swimming through the other’s lone eye. She wanted to though, she really did. Maybe, if she could look at him just a while longer, she could. One hand rose slowly from her side to rest over his cheek, a barely-there pressure that was somehow enough to fully turn his face to her. He saw as the sweet smile that he loved so much spread over her feature.
“Yes, just a while longer.”