Fic - Forbidden Game
Rating: T
Summary: Would you like to play a game? A simple sentence, a deadly game with serious stakes. Lavi would win the deal with Fate, even if he had to break a heart that's the closest to his non-existent one.
Warnings:
- No happy ending
- Yes I'm serious
- No, no one's dying
- Yes, song reference again
- And yes, graphic gory scenes. That's to help ya, Zex U_U
- Swearing (somewhat... I try to refrain typing them but given Kanda's foul attitude XD)
Would you like to play a game?
Lavi thought he was hearing things. The sentence whispered to him every night. In his dreams, before he fell asleep. And he often saw the same thing over and over again in his sleep. A necklace of roses with wicked-looking thorny stems, bright red handcuffs tied to a silver chain, in a room full of mirrors that reflected him. Beyond that, a large set of double doors.
Would you like to play a game?
He thought the problem would recede outside his room. The smiles and laughter that he had put on, all not his. He was just no one living some one's life. 'Lavi' is an Exorcist, a warrior of Light chosen by God. Bookman Jr. is not. Chilly winds blew through the Headquarters, amplifying the whispery voice.
Would you like to play a game?
He wanted to know the stakes, of course. If he loses, he'll end up with a torn heart and a broken mind, the voice said. If he wins, Fate will change destiny for him.
Woud you like to play a game?
He accepted of course. The voice giggled, a papery rustle in the quiet room. Bookman had been spending time researching something which he did not trust his apprentice to do it for him, leaving Lavi alone in the cluttered room. "So, what am I supposed to do?" he asked the air.
Melt the heart of ice, the voice had said. Make the Ice Prince fall in love. Turn the tables on Kanda Yu.
Right, basically, get Kanda to fall in love with him. "That's not difficult," Lavi commented. He knew a few secrets about Kanda, one of which involved Bookman Jr. himself.
Let no one see. Leave no rumours. Do not allow gossip, the voice said. The fate of other people lies in your ability to fool. Fool yourself not and you may win.
Lavi agreed. The rules was simple. One year, the voice said and vanished without a trace. The papers swirled in a circular motion and came to a halt. Lavi smiled. Time to go.
Mugen touched his skin lightly. "Stay. Away." the owner ground out at Lavi. The blade shone bluish-silver in the artificial lighting of the training room, making the sword seem even more deadly yet beautiful. Just like its Accomodator.
"Come on Yu," Lavi whined. "It's a great day outside."
The one Lavi was addressing to, Kanda Yu, narrowed his eyes. "The sun is shining brightly. I can hear the water crashing on the brick walls. But the waters sound harsh and the wind's picking up," he commented. "It's going to storm. And you're trying to delude me that it's a nice day out?"
Lavi laughed. Kanda barely looked out of the windows for a minute. He pushed the blade away from his throat. "I expected just as much," he sighed. "Nothing about the weather escapes a gardener." This time Mugen found its way to his jugular.
Kanda let a 'tch' escape his lips as he sheathed his sword back. "Why don't you go pester Komui for a mission instead?" he asked. He turned around and started for the exit of the training room, totally missing the smirk creeping onto Lavi's face. The other was playing a game with Fate. He tapped the cursed samurai on the shoulder, causing Kanda to turn around. Lavi took to chance to capture the swordsman's lips with his own. As he predicted, Kanda's blood rushed to his face, dying it a nice shade of red before Lavi was pushed back.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?" Kanda demanded, the volume of his voice rising to a level Lavi had never heard of before. Before the redhead could answer, Kanda stormed out of the room.
The leather ribbon has been tied and the rose-red handcuffs onto their hands. The necklace bites into his neck, leaving angry red blood trails down his collarbone. Their conjoined hands tighten as they walk further down the path. He feels as the other tightens his grip for the darkness around them threatens to swallow them whole. He finds out then, the prince is afraid of solitude.
White strips of cloth hangs from the closed casket that is at the end of their destination. They have been stained crimson, and blends in well among the red roses scattered around it. The casket is made for one.
You or me? If you love me, say it.
The mirrors turn and rotate but never reflecting the light that bears the hope.
The taste of love for the first time is always bitter. Lavi briefly wonders if Kanda is tasting it. According to Lenalee, she said how withdrawn Kanda had become and his eyes sometimes took on a far-off look.
"It's like, he's thinking of something really really important," she described as she walked out of the cafeteria with Lavi. "And he doesn't concentrate as much in battles."
Lavi laughed and shrugged it off. "He's just going through a phase, nothing much to worry about," he said cheerily. "Besides, he's probably just worrying how much time he had left."
When Lenalee walked off, the smile dropped too. He knew the reason for Kanda's current state of mind. He walked to Kanda's room where he would probably be. He knocked the door twice before pushing it open. A pair of icy gray eyes from a slim figure on the bed met the bright emerald one. The night engulfed the room in complete darkness, save for the stream of light that filtered in from the open door.
"Get. Out." he ordered. Lavi did not budge. He noted the empty hourglass that stood alone on its stand and Mugen leaning against the small table.
The intruder simply allowed his lips to tilt upwards. "That's not very nice Yu," he chided gently.
The gray eyes froze further, flashing angrily. "Don't call me that," he said. The green eye flashed in amusement. The gray ones maintained its stony glare.
Lavi suddenly laughed out loud. "That's what you always say, Yu," he chuckled as he took 3 steps towards the bed where Kanda was seated on. "But you never mean it." He leaned down and captured those lips again. He pushed Kanda back onto the bed. "I know your secret, Yu~"
Lenalee wondered where Lavi went to for the rest of the night and could not understand why there were complaints to Komui asking him to change Kanda's room.
-----
He was not allowed to get involved with anybody. It breaks the first and foremost rule of the Bookman Clan. But if he wins the game, he can change a few rules. Half a year is gone, and all Lavi did was to get Kanda in bed. Kanda had said it was only a way to relieve stress, nothing else. He need to get Kanda to say those three simple words.
The double doors are half open, waiting for them to reach it. They continue walking down the path to the casket.
The first sign something was up was the death of a Finder. Purely by accident of course. Killed by an Akuma, no big deal. To Lavi who knew that there were no deaths for ongoing missions until this one, it was a shock. It was no surprise that before he could carry out an investigation of his own, a lone researcher carrying a couple of boxes came up to him and asked if he and Kanda were 'something'. Lucky for Lavi, Kanda overheard the question and threatened death to all who ever mentioned it again and said, "No, there's nothing". The researcher went pale and nodded fervently before scuttling away.
Subsequent encounters were not so lucky. Everyone learned not to mention 'that' in Kanda's presence but they kept pestering Lavi. The redhead laughed and said it was nothing, really. The death count kept piling but the rate dropped had dropped. Lenalee was shown to be having a heart attack over the numbers. Lavi felt a twinge of guilt inside. He caused them to lose their lives.
Nightly visits also started to take slight changes. The need to hold Kanda, the urge to kiss those lips, they started to grow. When they were on the roof, just the two of them, Lavi sitting on the ground and Kanda leaning on the parapat, then the wind lightly caresses Kanda's hair and the moon shines brilliantly on the Exorcist, Lavi thought he must have died because no one could look this beautiful. Kanda would notice him gawking and ask what was Lavi looking at. "Me? I'm looking at Yu," he says with a smile. Kanda would 'tch' and take a seat beside him. They would talk about all sorts of things. Lavi's hand would unknowingly creep over to Kanda's. Sometimes Kanda would laugh slightly when Lavi recounts a hilarious event. Kanda would then speak of his last mission and how he wanted to avoid working with the beansprout although the to-be Noah is powerful enough for take down tens of Level Threes with no problem. Lavi would keep talking about what happened in the Order when Kanda was away. But Kanda will fall asleep while Lavi is repeating the times when Komui unleashed Komurin. Those times, Lavi will smile at the Exorcist sleeping on his shoulder and carry him back to his room.
It was after a mission when Lavi realizes he does not give a damn to the game anymore. The limb of an Akuma transformed into a deadly spear and lunged itself towards Kanda. The spear drove itself deep into his abdomen, piercing through the internal organs and leaving from the other side. The Akuma pulled the spear back out, leaving a gaping black hole where the weapon had been. Thick crimson rivers flowed down, staining the once black uniform a sickening black-purple. The Akuma let off a laugh that sounded a little too cruel to Lavi as he ran over to check the severity of the damage. His hand and parts of his scarf were soaked in the red liquid within a few seconds. Kanda's eyes were scrunched shut in pain and his breathing harsh.
"YU!!" Lavi cried as he picked up Kanda's fallen form. There was so much blood. Kanda coughed, sending more blood up his throat. Mugen hung limply from his right hand.
"Kill... the damn thing," Kanda whispered, his voice still faintly audible. "Hurry up..."
Lavi nodded and set Kanda back lying on the ground gently. He stood up and raised the large hammer. A ring of glowing green words formed around the head. The word for 'Fire' stopped right in front of him. "Gouka Kaijin, Hiban!!" Lavi shouted, slamming the hammerhead into the word. When the head touched the ground, fire erupted all around Lavi. The fire formed into a huge snake and went straight for the Akuma at an astounding speed. The Akuma, too caught up in its glee to fatally injure an Exorcist, did not notice the incoming fiery snake until it was engulfed in the extreme heat. It screamed as the heat slowly burned away its body. The wailing sound eventually died off and the snake dissipated.
The wounds stopped bleeding by the time Lavi ran back to Kanda. But still Kanda had lost a lot of blood and was barely holding on to consciousness. "How many," Lavi asked as he grasped onto Kanda's hand. "How many are there left?"
Kanda's eyelids fluttered open, his gray eyes losing focus. "I... don't know...," he answered softly. Lavi pulled Kanda up into a sitting position, careful not to reopen the wound.
"I'm going to take you back to town where you can slowly heal, alright?" Lavi asked as he picked Kanda up bridal style. Kanda nodded weakly and succumbed to his growing fatigue. Lavi looked down at Kanda's face etched in pain as he trudged back to the inn where they were staying. "... Don't go yet... Yu..."
------
The rose handcuffs fall off and interlaced fingers replaced them. . The path is still long but the double doors are near to reaching its limit.
The black altar shines with tears of the previous star-crossed lovers as the white cross hangs above as a sign of dominance.
Lavi wakes up as the person in the bed shifts a little. Cracking his eye blearily, he could see the other as he woke up. He reached out quickly to stop the other from any attempt to sit up. "Yu, lie down. They haven't closed yet," Lavi said.
Kanda glared at him briefly before obeying. The silence that followed was suffocating. "Why didn't you leave me there to bleed to death?" Kanda finally asked. "It's been getting slower, the healing rate. And the visibility in the battlefied is decreasing."
Lavi smiled, a small and tired one. "Then that would make me some serious bastard who don't give a damn to my comrades wouldn't it?" he answered. "Except you aren't just any other comrade. I don't know how I'm going to live with the fact that I let you die and I'll probably hate myself over letting one of the most important people in my life go."
"... I'm going to die sooner or later anyway," Kanda replied. "It's just how much more I can take this."
A pair of arms took hold of his shoulders and jerked him up. Kanda found himself in Lavi's arms and ignored the brief flare of pain from the wound. "You're not going to die," Lavi said firmly. "You're going to survive this war, like all of us. We're going to kick the Noahs out of their place. You're going to find That Person and get the curse lifted. You're not some doll they created for the sake of synchronising Innocence to. You're, in every way, a living breathing person."
Gray eyes were wide open in shock now. "But... why...?" Kanda asked, not really sure what else to say. "You're Bookman. You're not allowed to get involved with other people. Like I said before, it's stress relief." The last sentence sounded really harsh and bitter. But it was the truth, right?
The arms around him tightened their grip. "No, it's not," Lavi answered softly. "If it was just stress relief, I wouldn't be here worrying if you were going to pull through that serious injury. I would be listening to your delirious talk and leaving you out there for scavengers. I won't let you die yet. Because... I... I love Yu."
The game was over before he knew it.
-----
The shrieking cackle of the voice amplified by the mirrors that reflected the sound waves, making it more eerie."You lost," it laughed."The main point of the game. You lost, Bookman Junior."
The double doors are fully open and the necklace of roses curled up even more. The casket opens and the darkness within is almost suffocating. "Now what will you do, Bookman Junior?"When they finally returned to the Order, Komui immediately questioned them for the reason they took longer than usual. Kanda merely said it was a serious injury. Bookman came out to find Lavi and told him to go to the library.
"Ok, so what did you call me here for, Panda?" Lavi asked the moment he closed the door. A panda arm sprouted from Bookman and hit Lavi with such force that the latter was sent reeling backwards. "What was that for?!?" the victim demanded.
Bookman crossed his arms and looked down at his apprentice. "Have you forgotten our first and foremost rule of the clan?" he asked.
Lavi blinked in confusion for a moment. " 'Never get involved, always be on the sidelines'?" he answered, hoping he got the correct one.
The glare of Bookman turned harsher. "And what have you been doing while I was looking up some archives and you were on a mission with Kanda?" he asked.
Someone knowing. And forbidding him to go on any further. Fate is cruel isn't it? The moment Bookman wanted to know, Lavi already knew it. The game he had bet with, he lost. "A forbidden game huh?" Lavi muttered. "Heh, Fate sure gets bored easily."
They met as usual at the stairs leading up to the roof. "Where did you go?" was the first thing Kanda asked. Lavi shrugged his shoulders and merely replied, "Bookman". Kanda said nothing else when Lavi led him up the stairs to the rooftop where the wind raged in fury for the incoming storm. It imitated Lavi's mood perfectly due to the earlier encounter with Bookman. It was unfair. The Bookman rules. THe conditions of the game. His own failure. Wait, the last one did not count. He liked Kanda to begin with. Kanda, to him that is, was better looking than Lenalee. And both were quite similar in looks. And Kanda's personality was like a machine with all sorts of nasty mechanisms inside, but only pushing the right button will activate them. Lavi knew what button to push of course. And in battle, it was breathtaking to watch the other fight. Mugen would occasionally catch the light of the day or night and reflect a soft metallic blue. The Accomodator's fighting style was like a sort of dance that leaves destruction in its path.
Lavi laughed bitterly. Love sure was painful. That's why Fate chose him probably
------
They passed through the doors into the awaiting casket. The voice cackled again.
Will you die for him?
Will you give up all you're been aiming for these years just for him?
Even with a heart of ice and a dead heart, you can only do so much... What will you choose as a forfeit in this forbidden game?
Allen wanted to smash his head against the wall. How could he be so blind? The signs were there, he had even seen them. What why did he not do anything until it was too late?
He had been walking back to his room after returning from a mission at insanely late hours when he heard shouting. The voices he identified one as Lavi's, the slightly quieter one as Kanda's. The shouting came from within the library. He stood outside the library until the volume went down somewhat. But he heard enough to know what was going on: Bookman was stopping Lavi from all personal relationships. Seemed like Lavi was in one with Kanda and Kanda was not just accepting it. The words that were flying back and forth were harsh and meant to be hurtful.
The only thing that jerked him out of his thoughts was Lavi saying loudly, "You can find someone else to fuck with and see if I give a damn anymore." The metallic sound of a sword being drawn resonated in the room and beyond.
"You can also see if I'm ever going to save your sorry ass when you're fighting hundreds of Akuma by yourself with your poor synchro rate," Kanda said. There was no answer from Lavi so Allen assumed Mugen's blade was pressed up against his throat. The metallic sound rang again, this time much softer and footsteps were approaching the door. Allen panicked and ran into a nearby corner to hide. He peeked out and saw Kanda leaving the library. It was too far to clearly see his expression.
Relieved that he had escaped from a near-death experience, Allen returned to his room. The post-mission tiredness and the shock lingered in his sytem, but he was too tired to sort them out. He heard giggling voices when he approached his room, where Link was still nowhere to be found. He took off his Exorcist jacket and hung it over a bedpost and climbed under the sheets, with Timcanpy setling comfortably on the pillow. The voice eventually grew into a audible whisper.
Would you like to play game?
A/N: ... To all those who read this (especially engracia, Kaen and probably Dementia), DO NOT KILL ME, I REPEAT, DO NOT KILL ME. I interpreted the song this way (it's Kinjirareta Asobi by the way) and... yeah....
Summary: Would you like to play a game? A simple sentence, a deadly game with serious stakes. Lavi would win the deal with Fate, even if he had to break a heart that's the closest to his non-existent one.
Warnings:
- No happy ending
- Yes I'm serious
- No, no one's dying
- Yes, song reference again
- And yes, graphic gory scenes. That's to help ya, Zex U_U
- Swearing (somewhat... I try to refrain typing them but given Kanda's foul attitude XD)
Would you like to play a game?
Lavi thought he was hearing things. The sentence whispered to him every night. In his dreams, before he fell asleep. And he often saw the same thing over and over again in his sleep. A necklace of roses with wicked-looking thorny stems, bright red handcuffs tied to a silver chain, in a room full of mirrors that reflected him. Beyond that, a large set of double doors.
Would you like to play a game?
He thought the problem would recede outside his room. The smiles and laughter that he had put on, all not his. He was just no one living some one's life. 'Lavi' is an Exorcist, a warrior of Light chosen by God. Bookman Jr. is not. Chilly winds blew through the Headquarters, amplifying the whispery voice.
Would you like to play a game?
He wanted to know the stakes, of course. If he loses, he'll end up with a torn heart and a broken mind, the voice said. If he wins, Fate will change destiny for him.
Woud you like to play a game?
He accepted of course. The voice giggled, a papery rustle in the quiet room. Bookman had been spending time researching something which he did not trust his apprentice to do it for him, leaving Lavi alone in the cluttered room. "So, what am I supposed to do?" he asked the air.
Melt the heart of ice, the voice had said. Make the Ice Prince fall in love. Turn the tables on Kanda Yu.
Right, basically, get Kanda to fall in love with him. "That's not difficult," Lavi commented. He knew a few secrets about Kanda, one of which involved Bookman Jr. himself.
Let no one see. Leave no rumours. Do not allow gossip, the voice said. The fate of other people lies in your ability to fool. Fool yourself not and you may win.
Lavi agreed. The rules was simple. One year, the voice said and vanished without a trace. The papers swirled in a circular motion and came to a halt. Lavi smiled. Time to go.
Mugen touched his skin lightly. "Stay. Away." the owner ground out at Lavi. The blade shone bluish-silver in the artificial lighting of the training room, making the sword seem even more deadly yet beautiful. Just like its Accomodator.
"Come on Yu," Lavi whined. "It's a great day outside."
The one Lavi was addressing to, Kanda Yu, narrowed his eyes. "The sun is shining brightly. I can hear the water crashing on the brick walls. But the waters sound harsh and the wind's picking up," he commented. "It's going to storm. And you're trying to delude me that it's a nice day out?"
Lavi laughed. Kanda barely looked out of the windows for a minute. He pushed the blade away from his throat. "I expected just as much," he sighed. "Nothing about the weather escapes a gardener." This time Mugen found its way to his jugular.
Kanda let a 'tch' escape his lips as he sheathed his sword back. "Why don't you go pester Komui for a mission instead?" he asked. He turned around and started for the exit of the training room, totally missing the smirk creeping onto Lavi's face. The other was playing a game with Fate. He tapped the cursed samurai on the shoulder, causing Kanda to turn around. Lavi took to chance to capture the swordsman's lips with his own. As he predicted, Kanda's blood rushed to his face, dying it a nice shade of red before Lavi was pushed back.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?" Kanda demanded, the volume of his voice rising to a level Lavi had never heard of before. Before the redhead could answer, Kanda stormed out of the room.
The leather ribbon has been tied and the rose-red handcuffs onto their hands. The necklace bites into his neck, leaving angry red blood trails down his collarbone. Their conjoined hands tighten as they walk further down the path. He feels as the other tightens his grip for the darkness around them threatens to swallow them whole. He finds out then, the prince is afraid of solitude.
White strips of cloth hangs from the closed casket that is at the end of their destination. They have been stained crimson, and blends in well among the red roses scattered around it. The casket is made for one.
You or me? If you love me, say it.
The mirrors turn and rotate but never reflecting the light that bears the hope.
The taste of love for the first time is always bitter. Lavi briefly wonders if Kanda is tasting it. According to Lenalee, she said how withdrawn Kanda had become and his eyes sometimes took on a far-off look.
"It's like, he's thinking of something really really important," she described as she walked out of the cafeteria with Lavi. "And he doesn't concentrate as much in battles."
Lavi laughed and shrugged it off. "He's just going through a phase, nothing much to worry about," he said cheerily. "Besides, he's probably just worrying how much time he had left."
When Lenalee walked off, the smile dropped too. He knew the reason for Kanda's current state of mind. He walked to Kanda's room where he would probably be. He knocked the door twice before pushing it open. A pair of icy gray eyes from a slim figure on the bed met the bright emerald one. The night engulfed the room in complete darkness, save for the stream of light that filtered in from the open door.
"Get. Out." he ordered. Lavi did not budge. He noted the empty hourglass that stood alone on its stand and Mugen leaning against the small table.
The intruder simply allowed his lips to tilt upwards. "That's not very nice Yu," he chided gently.
The gray eyes froze further, flashing angrily. "Don't call me that," he said. The green eye flashed in amusement. The gray ones maintained its stony glare.
Lavi suddenly laughed out loud. "That's what you always say, Yu," he chuckled as he took 3 steps towards the bed where Kanda was seated on. "But you never mean it." He leaned down and captured those lips again. He pushed Kanda back onto the bed. "I know your secret, Yu~"
Lenalee wondered where Lavi went to for the rest of the night and could not understand why there were complaints to Komui asking him to change Kanda's room.
-----
He was not allowed to get involved with anybody. It breaks the first and foremost rule of the Bookman Clan. But if he wins the game, he can change a few rules. Half a year is gone, and all Lavi did was to get Kanda in bed. Kanda had said it was only a way to relieve stress, nothing else. He need to get Kanda to say those three simple words.
The double doors are half open, waiting for them to reach it. They continue walking down the path to the casket.
The first sign something was up was the death of a Finder. Purely by accident of course. Killed by an Akuma, no big deal. To Lavi who knew that there were no deaths for ongoing missions until this one, it was a shock. It was no surprise that before he could carry out an investigation of his own, a lone researcher carrying a couple of boxes came up to him and asked if he and Kanda were 'something'. Lucky for Lavi, Kanda overheard the question and threatened death to all who ever mentioned it again and said, "No, there's nothing". The researcher went pale and nodded fervently before scuttling away.
Subsequent encounters were not so lucky. Everyone learned not to mention 'that' in Kanda's presence but they kept pestering Lavi. The redhead laughed and said it was nothing, really. The death count kept piling but the rate dropped had dropped. Lenalee was shown to be having a heart attack over the numbers. Lavi felt a twinge of guilt inside. He caused them to lose their lives.
Nightly visits also started to take slight changes. The need to hold Kanda, the urge to kiss those lips, they started to grow. When they were on the roof, just the two of them, Lavi sitting on the ground and Kanda leaning on the parapat, then the wind lightly caresses Kanda's hair and the moon shines brilliantly on the Exorcist, Lavi thought he must have died because no one could look this beautiful. Kanda would notice him gawking and ask what was Lavi looking at. "Me? I'm looking at Yu," he says with a smile. Kanda would 'tch' and take a seat beside him. They would talk about all sorts of things. Lavi's hand would unknowingly creep over to Kanda's. Sometimes Kanda would laugh slightly when Lavi recounts a hilarious event. Kanda would then speak of his last mission and how he wanted to avoid working with the beansprout although the to-be Noah is powerful enough for take down tens of Level Threes with no problem. Lavi would keep talking about what happened in the Order when Kanda was away. But Kanda will fall asleep while Lavi is repeating the times when Komui unleashed Komurin. Those times, Lavi will smile at the Exorcist sleeping on his shoulder and carry him back to his room.
It was after a mission when Lavi realizes he does not give a damn to the game anymore. The limb of an Akuma transformed into a deadly spear and lunged itself towards Kanda. The spear drove itself deep into his abdomen, piercing through the internal organs and leaving from the other side. The Akuma pulled the spear back out, leaving a gaping black hole where the weapon had been. Thick crimson rivers flowed down, staining the once black uniform a sickening black-purple. The Akuma let off a laugh that sounded a little too cruel to Lavi as he ran over to check the severity of the damage. His hand and parts of his scarf were soaked in the red liquid within a few seconds. Kanda's eyes were scrunched shut in pain and his breathing harsh.
"YU!!" Lavi cried as he picked up Kanda's fallen form. There was so much blood. Kanda coughed, sending more blood up his throat. Mugen hung limply from his right hand.
"Kill... the damn thing," Kanda whispered, his voice still faintly audible. "Hurry up..."
Lavi nodded and set Kanda back lying on the ground gently. He stood up and raised the large hammer. A ring of glowing green words formed around the head. The word for 'Fire' stopped right in front of him. "Gouka Kaijin, Hiban!!" Lavi shouted, slamming the hammerhead into the word. When the head touched the ground, fire erupted all around Lavi. The fire formed into a huge snake and went straight for the Akuma at an astounding speed. The Akuma, too caught up in its glee to fatally injure an Exorcist, did not notice the incoming fiery snake until it was engulfed in the extreme heat. It screamed as the heat slowly burned away its body. The wailing sound eventually died off and the snake dissipated.
The wounds stopped bleeding by the time Lavi ran back to Kanda. But still Kanda had lost a lot of blood and was barely holding on to consciousness. "How many," Lavi asked as he grasped onto Kanda's hand. "How many are there left?"
Kanda's eyelids fluttered open, his gray eyes losing focus. "I... don't know...," he answered softly. Lavi pulled Kanda up into a sitting position, careful not to reopen the wound.
"I'm going to take you back to town where you can slowly heal, alright?" Lavi asked as he picked Kanda up bridal style. Kanda nodded weakly and succumbed to his growing fatigue. Lavi looked down at Kanda's face etched in pain as he trudged back to the inn where they were staying. "... Don't go yet... Yu..."
------
The rose handcuffs fall off and interlaced fingers replaced them. . The path is still long but the double doors are near to reaching its limit.
The black altar shines with tears of the previous star-crossed lovers as the white cross hangs above as a sign of dominance.
Lavi wakes up as the person in the bed shifts a little. Cracking his eye blearily, he could see the other as he woke up. He reached out quickly to stop the other from any attempt to sit up. "Yu, lie down. They haven't closed yet," Lavi said.
Kanda glared at him briefly before obeying. The silence that followed was suffocating. "Why didn't you leave me there to bleed to death?" Kanda finally asked. "It's been getting slower, the healing rate. And the visibility in the battlefied is decreasing."
Lavi smiled, a small and tired one. "Then that would make me some serious bastard who don't give a damn to my comrades wouldn't it?" he answered. "Except you aren't just any other comrade. I don't know how I'm going to live with the fact that I let you die and I'll probably hate myself over letting one of the most important people in my life go."
"... I'm going to die sooner or later anyway," Kanda replied. "It's just how much more I can take this."
A pair of arms took hold of his shoulders and jerked him up. Kanda found himself in Lavi's arms and ignored the brief flare of pain from the wound. "You're not going to die," Lavi said firmly. "You're going to survive this war, like all of us. We're going to kick the Noahs out of their place. You're going to find That Person and get the curse lifted. You're not some doll they created for the sake of synchronising Innocence to. You're, in every way, a living breathing person."
Gray eyes were wide open in shock now. "But... why...?" Kanda asked, not really sure what else to say. "You're Bookman. You're not allowed to get involved with other people. Like I said before, it's stress relief." The last sentence sounded really harsh and bitter. But it was the truth, right?
The arms around him tightened their grip. "No, it's not," Lavi answered softly. "If it was just stress relief, I wouldn't be here worrying if you were going to pull through that serious injury. I would be listening to your delirious talk and leaving you out there for scavengers. I won't let you die yet. Because... I... I love Yu."
The game was over before he knew it.
-----
The shrieking cackle of the voice amplified by the mirrors that reflected the sound waves, making it more eerie."You lost," it laughed."The main point of the game. You lost, Bookman Junior."
The double doors are fully open and the necklace of roses curled up even more. The casket opens and the darkness within is almost suffocating. "Now what will you do, Bookman Junior?"When they finally returned to the Order, Komui immediately questioned them for the reason they took longer than usual. Kanda merely said it was a serious injury. Bookman came out to find Lavi and told him to go to the library.
"Ok, so what did you call me here for, Panda?" Lavi asked the moment he closed the door. A panda arm sprouted from Bookman and hit Lavi with such force that the latter was sent reeling backwards. "What was that for?!?" the victim demanded.
Bookman crossed his arms and looked down at his apprentice. "Have you forgotten our first and foremost rule of the clan?" he asked.
Lavi blinked in confusion for a moment. " 'Never get involved, always be on the sidelines'?" he answered, hoping he got the correct one.
The glare of Bookman turned harsher. "And what have you been doing while I was looking up some archives and you were on a mission with Kanda?" he asked.
Someone knowing. And forbidding him to go on any further. Fate is cruel isn't it? The moment Bookman wanted to know, Lavi already knew it. The game he had bet with, he lost. "A forbidden game huh?" Lavi muttered. "Heh, Fate sure gets bored easily."
They met as usual at the stairs leading up to the roof. "Where did you go?" was the first thing Kanda asked. Lavi shrugged his shoulders and merely replied, "Bookman". Kanda said nothing else when Lavi led him up the stairs to the rooftop where the wind raged in fury for the incoming storm. It imitated Lavi's mood perfectly due to the earlier encounter with Bookman. It was unfair. The Bookman rules. THe conditions of the game. His own failure. Wait, the last one did not count. He liked Kanda to begin with. Kanda, to him that is, was better looking than Lenalee. And both were quite similar in looks. And Kanda's personality was like a machine with all sorts of nasty mechanisms inside, but only pushing the right button will activate them. Lavi knew what button to push of course. And in battle, it was breathtaking to watch the other fight. Mugen would occasionally catch the light of the day or night and reflect a soft metallic blue. The Accomodator's fighting style was like a sort of dance that leaves destruction in its path.
Lavi laughed bitterly. Love sure was painful. That's why Fate chose him probably
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They passed through the doors into the awaiting casket. The voice cackled again.
Will you die for him?
Will you give up all you're been aiming for these years just for him?
Even with a heart of ice and a dead heart, you can only do so much... What will you choose as a forfeit in this forbidden game?
Allen wanted to smash his head against the wall. How could he be so blind? The signs were there, he had even seen them. What why did he not do anything until it was too late?
He had been walking back to his room after returning from a mission at insanely late hours when he heard shouting. The voices he identified one as Lavi's, the slightly quieter one as Kanda's. The shouting came from within the library. He stood outside the library until the volume went down somewhat. But he heard enough to know what was going on: Bookman was stopping Lavi from all personal relationships. Seemed like Lavi was in one with Kanda and Kanda was not just accepting it. The words that were flying back and forth were harsh and meant to be hurtful.
The only thing that jerked him out of his thoughts was Lavi saying loudly, "You can find someone else to fuck with and see if I give a damn anymore." The metallic sound of a sword being drawn resonated in the room and beyond.
"You can also see if I'm ever going to save your sorry ass when you're fighting hundreds of Akuma by yourself with your poor synchro rate," Kanda said. There was no answer from Lavi so Allen assumed Mugen's blade was pressed up against his throat. The metallic sound rang again, this time much softer and footsteps were approaching the door. Allen panicked and ran into a nearby corner to hide. He peeked out and saw Kanda leaving the library. It was too far to clearly see his expression.
Relieved that he had escaped from a near-death experience, Allen returned to his room. The post-mission tiredness and the shock lingered in his sytem, but he was too tired to sort them out. He heard giggling voices when he approached his room, where Link was still nowhere to be found. He took off his Exorcist jacket and hung it over a bedpost and climbed under the sheets, with Timcanpy setling comfortably on the pillow. The voice eventually grew into a audible whisper.
Would you like to play game?
A/N: ... To all those who read this (especially engracia, Kaen and probably Dementia), DO NOT KILL ME, I REPEAT, DO NOT KILL ME. I interpreted the song this way (it's Kinjirareta Asobi by the way) and... yeah....