A Game of Poker, Chapter 11: Noah's Ark
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.']
A/N: This is my first multichapter fanfic for the DGM fandom! Yay! I’m fairly new to the fandom, but hopefully I haven’t made any unforgivable mistakes.
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 in the uncut versions (not on fanfiction(dot)net). 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.
Beta’d by Misster Cackles! All remaining mistakes are mine.
Last Time On ‘A Game Of Poker’:
The Noah didn't even seem to notice, apparently lost in his own thoughts. Not for the first time, Lavi wished he knew what went on inside the Noah's head.
And Now, The Continuation
A Game of Poker, Chapter 11
Noah’s Ark
The Pleasure had taken care to quietly excuse himself from a 'friendly' chat with the Earl and Road and sneaked down the hall into one of the many bathrooms in the compound. Each room was kept stocked with bandages and other such first aid items, though Tyki had needed to visit two bathrooms and clean them out of bandages before he was satisfied he had enough. Once he had the rolls of cloth, he had headed for his room.
He had tried and failed to come up with a logical explanation for his actions. Thinking back, saving the redhead had been rash and impulsive; now he would need to sneak the Exorcist out of the Noahs' home, and how else to do that but with the Ark? The stronghold was fairly well protected by the sheer difficulty of reaching it - the easiest and safest way to get in or out was through the Ark. The Pleasure would need to find some excuse to leave and somehow smuggle the redhead out with him, or just somehow sneak past the Akuma guards and take Lavi through the Ark himself.
Then, of course, he would need the redhead to agree to stay out of sight until the war ended one way or another. If Lavi was spotted and anyone reported to the Earl that the Exorcist still lived, then Tyki's deception would be discovered. How had he managed to dig himself such a deep hole for such a minor whim? He had dug himself an early grave, all for a young man he had been trying to kill the past few times they had met. What had he been thinking?
He didn't quite regret it anyway, much to his surprise. If time reversed and he found himself in that situation again, he would act the same way. That part bothered him greatly - he hadn't gained anything from his little 'hero' act and stood to lose everything the moment he was found out. Even so, he still would have taken the same path and chosen to save the redhead again.
He reached his door, still lost in thought. He opened it, catching a hint of motion inside the room as he stepped in. The Pleasure's golden eyes rested on the redhead, leaning against his bed. The Exorcist turned to stare, and Tyki took another step into the room before shutting the door behind himself. He took in the redhead's injuries with his eyes, an ache beginning in his chest for reasons he couldn't define. There was something painful about seeing those injuries on Lavi's body, though he refused to contemplate that thought any further. He moved to kneel before Lavi, still looking at the younger man's wounds. Thoughtlessly, he dropped the bandages he had carried into the room onto the floor.
One of the Exorcist's wounds - the one on the redhead's shin - had already been inexpertly bandaged by what looked like one of Tyki's old shirts. No matter, the Earl replaced all of them anyway. The Pleasure could hear Lavi's voice, probably some sort of explanation, but he didn't honestly mind that much about simple clothes.
He smiled inwardly, realizing how unnaturally introspective he was being.
"It's fine," he said. He sensed that he was interrupting the Exorcist, but didn't care. He reached for the other stake in Lavi's leg, noting how the redhead flinched and pulled away.
"I need to pull that out, lovely, or else I can't wrap it," he said softly. He easily fell back into using the nickname he had used for Lavi during more intimate encounters, hardly even noticing the word as it slipped from his lips. The redhead nodded, and Tyki set his hands to work.
How many times had he imagined the Exorcist in his room, except with a lot less clothing and a lot more touching? It wasn't the first time he had though of a partner in his room at the Noah stronghold, but those fantasies were most vivid. He could feel the redhead squirm under his touch, though he doubted it was from discomfort. He let his hands linger on the inside of the younger man's thigh a bit longer than necessary before moving on.
Lavi briefly inspected the freshly wrapped bandage. It wasn't the work of an expert, but nor was it the work of a complete amateur. It got the job done, which was the important thing.
The Noah eyed the candles stuck in the redhead's abdomen. They would be difficult to pull out, and he was not about to pull them out of Lavi's body while the younger man sat on the floor. It would be much easier if the Exorcist was sitting somewhere with his back well away from anything so the Pleasure could reach around it as he tied the bandages. He stood, extending his hand when all Lavi did was stare at him in confusion.
"If I'm going to wrap your wounds, you may as well make it easy for me." Tyki said as the Exorcist slowly lifted his hand and let the older man pull him up. Gently, so as not to aggravate any of the stab wounds, the Noah moved the younger man back and pushed down on the redhead's shoulders. Lavi took the hint and sat down on the edge of the bed, wincing even though the older man was careful to keep his touch gentle. The Exorcist leaned back and rested his weight on his arms when Tyki pressed him back gently. The Noah knelt in front of Lavi and leaned forward to inspect his injuries, making the redhead flush at the suggestiveness of their position. Even though the man's gaze was fixed firmly on the stakes - which hurt, but Lavi had endured more pain - the Exorcist couldn't help but remember other times Tyki's mouth had been similarly low on his body.
The Noah leaned closer, inspecting the injuries, and Lavi drew in a sharp breath. The Pleasure glanced up at him in confusion before the man took in their positions and smirked, making Lavi's flush deepen.
"Recalling better moments in your life, lovely?" he asked, turning his attention back to the spikes. He touched the one closer to the redhead's navel, tugging at it gently to test how easily it would come out. Instantly distracted from much more pleasant memories, Lavi hissed in pain and instinctively scooted away from the source. Tyki, ever patient, did not grab him to force him to stay in place. He moved closer again and tugged the other stake lightly, getting the same pained noise even though the Exorcist didn't move this time.
"Those will need to come out. I'll need you to help with this one,” the Pleasure said. Wincing, Lavi nodded.
"I can hold the first wound if you’ll yank out the second candle. Do you have the bandage ready?" the Exorcist asked. Tyki nodded, reaching down and snatching one of the rolls from the floor. Taking another glance at the wound, he grabbed a second roll. He placed both next to Lavi on the bed, still kneeling. As they were, his face was about level with Lavi's chin when the Pleasure didn't lean over. Standing would make him too tall to wrap the wounds easily.
He placed a hand on the first of the spikes, noting how Lavi instinctively tensed. His other hand rose to the redhead's side, gently running his palm over the uninjured flesh there to sooth the younger man and coax him to relax.
"Don't tense. It will hurt worse if you do," the Noah warned. Lavi almost chuckled, the words familiar to him, but the Pleasure was wrapping his hand around the first candle and beginning to tug. The redhead squeezed his eyes shut, a pained grunt escaping his lips as Tyki yanked the stake out and dropped it on the floor. The older man took the Exorcist's hand and pressed it to the bleeding wound. The red liquid seeped through Lavi's fingers and stained the Noah's hand, thin rivulets of crimson seeming to form threads connecting their fingers.
Tyki let go of the redhead's hand and moved to grasp the second spike. The second candle came out much the same as the first had. The Pleasure grabbed the first roll of bandages off the bed, opening it and beginning to wrap it around the younger man's abdomen. The younger man moved his hand as the white cloth began to make its way around his body. The Noah made sure to wrap tightly, passing the roll from hand to hand around the redhead's midsection.
The younger man, for his part, let the Pleasure work and tried to ignore how the older man's arms wrapped around him in a nearly painful facsimile of a hug. Their 'relationship', as Lavi understood it, did not include tender embraces, but the motions of the arms around him were so similar that he felt his heart ache with longing. He gritted his teeth, knowing Tyki would think any pained expression he made was caused purely by physical discomfort.
After a few minutes, Tyki pulled back and held the first bandage in place with one hand as he reached for the second. The redhead stayed quiet, waiting for the other man's arms to wrap around him again and let him pretend, if only for a moment, that they did have the sort of relationship where holding each other gently was normal and even expected.
If only for a moment.
Line Break
Lavi silently followed Tyki as the Noah carefully but quickly led him through the halls of the compound, eyes alert and scanning for guards. They had already needed to duck into more than one room to avoid detection by the Akuma that occasionally patrolled. The redhead's injuries were all bandaged up and his Innocence was back where it should be - in its holster. It was such a relief to have it back, since the slight weight on his leg was a comfort. He wasn't completely defenseless without his Innocence, but having it was definitely an advantage. Lavi hadn't been too surprised to get it back, though it had sent that odd, warm feeling through him when he realized that the Pleasure had saved his weapon after all.
The older man had casually tossed him the hammer after wrapping almost all of his injuries (minor cuts and the gash on his face not included). The Noah had then found him a shirt to wear, one of the silk button-ups the man preferred, much to Lavi's shock. Tyki had waved off the Exorcist's stammered thanks, saying that the Earl was in charge of replacing clothes anyway.
The Pleasure suddenly ducked to the right, reaching behind himself to grasp the redhead's wrist and pull him along. Lavi let himself be pulled, wincing slightly at the pull on his muscles and followed the Noah through an open doorway into the darkened room beyond. Once inside, the pair moved to one side of the doorframe and froze. Both breathed slowly, quietly, as Lavi heard the sound of an Akuma grow louder. The redhead's heart pounded, wondering if this Akuma would be the one to find them. They had been lucky with the last three, but... He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants, fingering his hammer and preparing to draw it at a moment's notice.
Tyki didn't notice the Exorcist's wariness, staring out the door cautiously and listening for the sound to disappear. He motioned for Lavi to stay put as the sound slowly faded down the hall, waiting a few extra seconds to be sure the killing machine was truly gone before signaling to the redhead that it was once against OK to move.
The pair stepped back into the hallway, the Exorcist again silently following the Noah. Their feet padded quietly down the hall, reaching an intersection within moments. Tyki glanced both ways down the intersecting hallway, checking for any guards or worse - other Noah or the Earl. He nodded, satisfied, and turned down the empty hallway.
Lavi followed, nearly running into the older man's back when Tyki abruptly halted three steps later. The Noah turned towards the doorway he had stopped in front of.
"Tyki?" Lavi asked softly, glancing between the Pleasure's face and the door.
"We're here," the Noah explained, returning the gaze briefly before moving towards the door and grabbing the handle. "Our Ark is rather unstable, so I'll have to lead you through. Without a guide you could fall through the floor and end up a red stain on the ground." The Pleasure began to twist the knob and Lavi was struck by the sudden urge to reach out and grab the Noah's wrist. He barely restrained himself, taking the hand that had started to drift towards the older man and pressing it to his chest.
He didn't understand the Pleasure at all. His initial joy at figuring out that Tyki wouldn't kill him had faded into nothing at the realization that his continued state of living was likely just the Pleasure's whim, and now his emotions had faded back to confusion. Why was the Noah helping him? Why was he doing this? Why did the older man care?
"Is something wrong, lovely?"
The Exorcist jerked his gaze back up, his hand dropping almost guiltily back to his side. Tyki had already opened the door and was looking back at the redhead, eyebrow raised.
The nickname... Tyki hadn't called him 'lovely' at either of their last two meetings, but Lavi hadn't really paid it much attention. When the Pleasure had been trying to kill him, he had purposefully not called Lavi 'lovely' as if trying to create distance between them. Yet, Tyki had called him 'lovely' when the Noah had started helping wrap his injuries. The Exorcist couldn't figure out what had caused the change. The sense of relief he felt at hearing 'lovely' deserved further contemplation, but he didn't want to consider why he felt so happy to have something back he hadn't even realized he had lost.
Noticing that Tyki was still looking at him, he hurriedly replied.
"No, nothing." The Noah stared at him for a moment longer, then turned back to the door and walked through. Lavi followed him, letting the door shut behind him as the Pleasure began to quickly cross the dark room. The door to the Ark hung suspended in the center, the faint light from the pattern of geometric shapes the only source of illumination. Deep shadows hid the walls of the room, making it impossible for the redhead to tell how big the area was. He could sense that it was big, huge even, but couldn't tell the exact size. The Ark alone illuminated an area about ten feet in every direction, but even with that light the redhead couldn't make out the walls.
The Exorcist took the information in out of habit, trained as a Bookman to concentrate on his surroundings but less concerned with the room than with the man walking just in front of him. The Pleasure's longer legs meant longer strides, carrying him to the door of the Ark a step ahead of Lavi. The older man paused, turning towards the Exorcist as the redhead stepped next to him.
Neither felt the many pairs of eyes watching them from the darkness.
"Do you know how to use the Ark?" Tyki asked, a pleased smile forming on his face when Lavi nodded. "Good. Now, let's-"
His words were cut off as something - three somethings, to be exact - shot through his body from behind. He watched in mute shock as three sickeningly familiar candles buried themselves in the Exorcist's chest, sending the redhead stumbling back and clutching at the injuries. One had struck the younger man's already wounded shoulder, a red stain beginning to spread and saturate the shirt and bandages there. One had hit just above the two stab wounds Tyki had wrapped on the redhead's abdomen. The third was in between the two, piercing the younger man high up on his left pectoral and a mere inch or two from his heart. Nothing looked immediately fatal, but the Pleasure couldn't be sure.
A nauseating chill overtook Tyki's body as Lavi doubled over and coughed wetly into his hand. The Exorcist straightened up to reveal blood dripping down his chin and covering his palm. The Noah turned towards the source of the attack, outwardly keeping calm while he trembled inside with an inexplicable mix of fear and anger. He shifted, blocking the injured redhead so he could scan the darkness for the girl he knew had to be there without worrying the younger man would be further hurt. Almost as soon as he began to look, the petite frame of the girl he searched for began to appear. Road sat on top of Lero as the umbrella hung horizontally in the air, both girl and golem unusually silent. Lero was drifting closer to the small circle of light provided by the Ark, bringing both his and the Dream's somber expressions into view.
Unnerved, but not wanting to show how uneasy the situation made him, Tyki spoke.
"Road?" he demanded. "What are you doing here?"
This could be bad, but the situation could be worse. Road might be convinced to stay quiet if he bribed her with enough candy and asked her nicely to keep this from the Earl. They were close - well, as close as he was with any of the other members of the Noah family. Hopefully he could use that.
He could hear Lavi behind him, the redhead's breath coming out in pained gasps. He wanted to turn, to see if the younger man was all right, but that would leave the Exorcist open to attack. Road's candles could simply pass through the Pleasure's body unless the Noah consciously wanted to touch them. He backed up a little, just until he could sense Lavi right behind him. He kept his gaze focused on Road, who still wore that uncharacteristically somber expression. The Dream returned the stare evenly, no longer moving closer and simply hovering in the air on top of Lero.
The Pleasure opened his mouth to ask her again when a new voice interrupted him.
"She's here because I asked her to be here, Tyki-pon."
Instantly, the Noah's insides felt like ice. He turned towards the door to the room, golden eyes wide. He could hear the rustle of cloth as the redhead behind him turned as well and then felt the Exorcist tense in shock. The Millennium Earl stood in the doorway, his ever present smile a direct contrast to the murderous aura around him. Road and Lero drifted towards the Earl, maintaining a constant distance from the male Noah.
The Pleasure would have cursed a blue streak if he had the presence of mind to do so. His deception had been discovered, though he didn't know how. The Earl had obviously figured out that Lavi was still alive somehow, meaning the Earl also knew that Tyki had attempted to deceive him. The large man knew that the Pleasure was a traitor. There was no way the Manufacturer would let that go.
The Noah set his jaw, furious with himself and yet couldn't regret his decision. He may have lost this particular gamble, but his only concern now was getting both himself and the Exorcist out in one piece.
"I'm disappointed in you, Tyki-pon," the Earl said, taking a step into the room. The Pleasure fought the urge to back up. Lavi's breathing behind him was becoming increasingly ragged and wet - the candle in his chest might have punctured a lung. Even with the wax stake obstructing the blood flow into the life-giving organ, it was only a matter of time until the redhead asphyxiated from the fluid in his lung. The Exorcist needed medical treatment as soon as possible. The redhead was in no condition to fight, especially not with his most recent injuries. The wounds were like an hourglass, time slipping away from them with each drop of blood leaking from the younger man's body.
Sweating slightly, Tyki's eyes flicked towards Road. The Dream could create doorways that went anywhere. He and Lavi were right in front of the Ark, but the magical door would not provide asylum. The Earl would simply follow them and so would Road. Unless something distracted the other two in the room-
Tyki's thoughts were interrupted when the Earl spoke again.
"You've been breaking quite a few rules lately. Naughty children who break the rules get punished, Tyki-pon." The Earl's voice was sweet like sugar mixed with cyanide. The large man raised a single hand and made a waving motion. At the gesture, the room's lights came on.
Stunned, the Pleasure could only stare as the light revealed a large horde of Akuma, all Level Two and maybe a few Level Three mixed in for good measure. The killing machines had been waiting by the walls, hidden by the shadows. There were at least fifty Akuma in the room, far too many for Tyki to fight while defending the younger man behind him. He could almost feel the shock and despair radiating from the redhead. A single Exorcist couldn't go up against such a large mob of high-level Akuma and expect to survive, especially not one so badly hurt already.
A Noah, on the other hand, had an ability an Exorcist didn't. Even so, Tyki knew he couldn't protect Lavi from all of the demons and Road and the Earl at the same time. The Pleasure wasn't even certain he'd be able to beat the Noah or the large man, since both were much older than he was. With age came experience and his own power was no match for the sheer force the Earl possessed.
The hopelessness of his situation hit him fully then, hanging on him like a physical weight, but he refused to be crushed by it. There were still a few options open to him, even if none of the options satisfied both his survival instincts and what he was beginning to suspect was his heart.
He twisted his lips sardonically. He was going to do something completely illogical again, even though his last illogical action had landed him in this situation. He had briefly considered simply throwing Lavi to the Akuma and begging the Earl's forgiveness for his temporary lapse, but something inside him had protested. His survival instincts were taking quite a beating from this, but the Pleasure couldn't bring himself to care.
Perhaps the Exorcist wasn't simply a bedwarmer or a particularly satisfying partner, as much as he had tried to convince himself that was all the redhead was to him. The fact that he had gone through with his traitorous plan in the first place and was now considering an even worse betrayal of his 'family' for the younger man was proof enough. If he survived, he would have to think about what exactly Lavi was to him.
If he survived.
He sighed, shrugging his shoulders as if he hadn't a care in the world.
"You've caught me. Rules were made to be broken, after all." Tyki said, smirking confidently. Confusion swarmed around him but did not engulf him, as if he were a tall rock in a rapidly moving river. Neither Road, the Earl, nor Lavi knew what the Pleasure had planned, which was just how the Noah liked it. He craned his neck slightly to glance back at the Exorcist, making sure to keep an eye on the Noah and the Maker. The Akuma would not attack until ordered to and as a Noah Tyki had little to fear from them anyway. With one simple order they would self-destruct - a most helpful feature, now that he had cause to use it.
"You know how to use the Ark, correct? My Tease shall be your guide in place of me." At his silent command, a butterfly morphed out of his shoulder and fluttered over to hover in the air next to Lavi's head. "I suggest you get away from the door as quickly as possible once you're through."
"Wait- Tyki, what are you-"
The Exorcist had no time to finish his question as the Noah carefully but firmly shoved him through the glowing door of the Ark. Lavi yelped in surprise, falling through more than walking through, but Tyki’s objective had been to get the redhead inside the Ark.
"Just what do you think you're doing, Tyki-pon?" The Earl asked, displeased. Tyki stepped away from the door, then lifted his hand and prepared to snap his fingers. He maintained a cool facade, smirking triumphantly as he brought the power given to him as one of the Noah clan to bear. Several of the Akuma in the room, those closest to the suspended, glowing doorway Lavi had just disappeared through, moved towards the door as if in a trance. They circled around it, but none went inside.
"Tyki?" Road asked, speaking for the first time. She seemed confused, but he could see slow realization dawn in her eyes as the Akuma around the doorway began to smoke.
"I guess you could say I'm doing a bit of clean-up, my dear Millennium Earl." Tyki said, sarcasm heavy on the man's title. He snapped his fingers. As a group, the Akuma surrounding the door self-destructed in a blinding blaze of light and deafening roar of screams. He could feel a hot rush of air blow through him, blowing Road over and shoving the Earl back a few feet. The force knocked the remaining Akuma in the room against the wall.
He glanced over his shoulder. Where the door had once stood was a black crater, the wooden planks of the floor pulled up and incinerated by the force of the explosion. That door to the Ark had been destroyed, meaning someone would need to go inside the Ark and open up a new door that would connect to the base before anyone but Road could move about freely once more.
He had effectively blocked anyone but the Dream from getting to Lavi, since there was virtually no chance of any of the other Noah using the Ark in the few minutes it would take his Tease to guide Lavi to a free doorway. The redhead was safe. Now all the Pleasure had to do was keep Road distracted.
Two large, four-pointed stars of solid light formed in his hands. They crackled and gleamed with energy as Tyki stepped away from the crater that had once been the door to the Ark. All he had to do was keep Road distracted for a few minutes, long enough until he was certain that Lavi was out. Road would not attack the Black Order Headquarters directly without an order from the Earl and the large man was not likely to give her one just yet. That part of the Earl's 'scenario' was not yet ready to be performed.
He walked forward slowly, heading for the petite girl that had been blown off her perch by the force of the explosion. She looked up at him, none of the sisterly love he was used to seeing in her expression present. Only betrayal and anger remained. Perhaps the 'love' Road had for him or any of their twisted 'family' was an illusion - the Dream always had been good at those.
Even if she had once loved him, he knew betrayal was unacceptable to her. He had just broken their family's only true taboo and that made him an enemy in Road's eyes. Part of him deeply regretted the loss, since he had only found acceptance with the other Noah the Earl had found and taken in, but he had never been close with the others. Perhaps closeness is what he had desired all along, not bonds forged by a common employer and 'memory' he had no control over.
Even at Skinn's death, even while crying, he had felt nothing. With the other Noah it would be the same.
"Shall we play, Road?" he asked, lifting one of the four-pointed stars. "You're always asking to play with me."
She glared at him, standing up and brushing off her skirt.
"Family comes first, Tyki." she told him, expression cold. "Didn't the Earl teach you that?"
"The lesson must have slipped my mind."
She glared at his cavalier tone.
"Then let's play." she agreed, darkness spreading from her body to engulf the room in one of her famous illusions.
Vaguely wishing for a cigarette, Tyki smirked and lifted his arms.
"Tease!" he called, summoning the butterfly-shaped golems that dwelled within his body. They began to pour out from inside of him, many larger than the width of his hands though most were the small, black colored butterflies all of the Tease began life as. They filled the air, fluttering and hovering as Road's illusion world continued to spread.
TBC…
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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.']
A/N: This is my first multichapter fanfic for the DGM fandom! Yay! I’m fairly new to the fandom, but hopefully I haven’t made any unforgivable mistakes.
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 in the uncut versions (not on fanfiction(dot)net). 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.
Beta’d by Misster Cackles! All remaining mistakes are mine.
Last Time On ‘A Game Of Poker’:
The Noah didn't even seem to notice, apparently lost in his own thoughts. Not for the first time, Lavi wished he knew what went on inside the Noah's head.
And Now, The Continuation
A Game of Poker, Chapter 11
Noah’s Ark
The Pleasure had taken care to quietly excuse himself from a 'friendly' chat with the Earl and Road and sneaked down the hall into one of the many bathrooms in the compound. Each room was kept stocked with bandages and other such first aid items, though Tyki had needed to visit two bathrooms and clean them out of bandages before he was satisfied he had enough. Once he had the rolls of cloth, he had headed for his room.
He had tried and failed to come up with a logical explanation for his actions. Thinking back, saving the redhead had been rash and impulsive; now he would need to sneak the Exorcist out of the Noahs' home, and how else to do that but with the Ark? The stronghold was fairly well protected by the sheer difficulty of reaching it - the easiest and safest way to get in or out was through the Ark. The Pleasure would need to find some excuse to leave and somehow smuggle the redhead out with him, or just somehow sneak past the Akuma guards and take Lavi through the Ark himself.
Then, of course, he would need the redhead to agree to stay out of sight until the war ended one way or another. If Lavi was spotted and anyone reported to the Earl that the Exorcist still lived, then Tyki's deception would be discovered. How had he managed to dig himself such a deep hole for such a minor whim? He had dug himself an early grave, all for a young man he had been trying to kill the past few times they had met. What had he been thinking?
He didn't quite regret it anyway, much to his surprise. If time reversed and he found himself in that situation again, he would act the same way. That part bothered him greatly - he hadn't gained anything from his little 'hero' act and stood to lose everything the moment he was found out. Even so, he still would have taken the same path and chosen to save the redhead again.
He reached his door, still lost in thought. He opened it, catching a hint of motion inside the room as he stepped in. The Pleasure's golden eyes rested on the redhead, leaning against his bed. The Exorcist turned to stare, and Tyki took another step into the room before shutting the door behind himself. He took in the redhead's injuries with his eyes, an ache beginning in his chest for reasons he couldn't define. There was something painful about seeing those injuries on Lavi's body, though he refused to contemplate that thought any further. He moved to kneel before Lavi, still looking at the younger man's wounds. Thoughtlessly, he dropped the bandages he had carried into the room onto the floor.
One of the Exorcist's wounds - the one on the redhead's shin - had already been inexpertly bandaged by what looked like one of Tyki's old shirts. No matter, the Earl replaced all of them anyway. The Pleasure could hear Lavi's voice, probably some sort of explanation, but he didn't honestly mind that much about simple clothes.
He smiled inwardly, realizing how unnaturally introspective he was being.
"It's fine," he said. He sensed that he was interrupting the Exorcist, but didn't care. He reached for the other stake in Lavi's leg, noting how the redhead flinched and pulled away.
"I need to pull that out, lovely, or else I can't wrap it," he said softly. He easily fell back into using the nickname he had used for Lavi during more intimate encounters, hardly even noticing the word as it slipped from his lips. The redhead nodded, and Tyki set his hands to work.
How many times had he imagined the Exorcist in his room, except with a lot less clothing and a lot more touching? It wasn't the first time he had though of a partner in his room at the Noah stronghold, but those fantasies were most vivid. He could feel the redhead squirm under his touch, though he doubted it was from discomfort. He let his hands linger on the inside of the younger man's thigh a bit longer than necessary before moving on.
Lavi briefly inspected the freshly wrapped bandage. It wasn't the work of an expert, but nor was it the work of a complete amateur. It got the job done, which was the important thing.
The Noah eyed the candles stuck in the redhead's abdomen. They would be difficult to pull out, and he was not about to pull them out of Lavi's body while the younger man sat on the floor. It would be much easier if the Exorcist was sitting somewhere with his back well away from anything so the Pleasure could reach around it as he tied the bandages. He stood, extending his hand when all Lavi did was stare at him in confusion.
"If I'm going to wrap your wounds, you may as well make it easy for me." Tyki said as the Exorcist slowly lifted his hand and let the older man pull him up. Gently, so as not to aggravate any of the stab wounds, the Noah moved the younger man back and pushed down on the redhead's shoulders. Lavi took the hint and sat down on the edge of the bed, wincing even though the older man was careful to keep his touch gentle. The Exorcist leaned back and rested his weight on his arms when Tyki pressed him back gently. The Noah knelt in front of Lavi and leaned forward to inspect his injuries, making the redhead flush at the suggestiveness of their position. Even though the man's gaze was fixed firmly on the stakes - which hurt, but Lavi had endured more pain - the Exorcist couldn't help but remember other times Tyki's mouth had been similarly low on his body.
The Noah leaned closer, inspecting the injuries, and Lavi drew in a sharp breath. The Pleasure glanced up at him in confusion before the man took in their positions and smirked, making Lavi's flush deepen.
"Recalling better moments in your life, lovely?" he asked, turning his attention back to the spikes. He touched the one closer to the redhead's navel, tugging at it gently to test how easily it would come out. Instantly distracted from much more pleasant memories, Lavi hissed in pain and instinctively scooted away from the source. Tyki, ever patient, did not grab him to force him to stay in place. He moved closer again and tugged the other stake lightly, getting the same pained noise even though the Exorcist didn't move this time.
"Those will need to come out. I'll need you to help with this one,” the Pleasure said. Wincing, Lavi nodded.
"I can hold the first wound if you’ll yank out the second candle. Do you have the bandage ready?" the Exorcist asked. Tyki nodded, reaching down and snatching one of the rolls from the floor. Taking another glance at the wound, he grabbed a second roll. He placed both next to Lavi on the bed, still kneeling. As they were, his face was about level with Lavi's chin when the Pleasure didn't lean over. Standing would make him too tall to wrap the wounds easily.
He placed a hand on the first of the spikes, noting how Lavi instinctively tensed. His other hand rose to the redhead's side, gently running his palm over the uninjured flesh there to sooth the younger man and coax him to relax.
"Don't tense. It will hurt worse if you do," the Noah warned. Lavi almost chuckled, the words familiar to him, but the Pleasure was wrapping his hand around the first candle and beginning to tug. The redhead squeezed his eyes shut, a pained grunt escaping his lips as Tyki yanked the stake out and dropped it on the floor. The older man took the Exorcist's hand and pressed it to the bleeding wound. The red liquid seeped through Lavi's fingers and stained the Noah's hand, thin rivulets of crimson seeming to form threads connecting their fingers.
Tyki let go of the redhead's hand and moved to grasp the second spike. The second candle came out much the same as the first had. The Pleasure grabbed the first roll of bandages off the bed, opening it and beginning to wrap it around the younger man's abdomen. The younger man moved his hand as the white cloth began to make its way around his body. The Noah made sure to wrap tightly, passing the roll from hand to hand around the redhead's midsection.
The younger man, for his part, let the Pleasure work and tried to ignore how the older man's arms wrapped around him in a nearly painful facsimile of a hug. Their 'relationship', as Lavi understood it, did not include tender embraces, but the motions of the arms around him were so similar that he felt his heart ache with longing. He gritted his teeth, knowing Tyki would think any pained expression he made was caused purely by physical discomfort.
After a few minutes, Tyki pulled back and held the first bandage in place with one hand as he reached for the second. The redhead stayed quiet, waiting for the other man's arms to wrap around him again and let him pretend, if only for a moment, that they did have the sort of relationship where holding each other gently was normal and even expected.
If only for a moment.
Line Break
Lavi silently followed Tyki as the Noah carefully but quickly led him through the halls of the compound, eyes alert and scanning for guards. They had already needed to duck into more than one room to avoid detection by the Akuma that occasionally patrolled. The redhead's injuries were all bandaged up and his Innocence was back where it should be - in its holster. It was such a relief to have it back, since the slight weight on his leg was a comfort. He wasn't completely defenseless without his Innocence, but having it was definitely an advantage. Lavi hadn't been too surprised to get it back, though it had sent that odd, warm feeling through him when he realized that the Pleasure had saved his weapon after all.
The older man had casually tossed him the hammer after wrapping almost all of his injuries (minor cuts and the gash on his face not included). The Noah had then found him a shirt to wear, one of the silk button-ups the man preferred, much to Lavi's shock. Tyki had waved off the Exorcist's stammered thanks, saying that the Earl was in charge of replacing clothes anyway.
The Pleasure suddenly ducked to the right, reaching behind himself to grasp the redhead's wrist and pull him along. Lavi let himself be pulled, wincing slightly at the pull on his muscles and followed the Noah through an open doorway into the darkened room beyond. Once inside, the pair moved to one side of the doorframe and froze. Both breathed slowly, quietly, as Lavi heard the sound of an Akuma grow louder. The redhead's heart pounded, wondering if this Akuma would be the one to find them. They had been lucky with the last three, but... He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants, fingering his hammer and preparing to draw it at a moment's notice.
Tyki didn't notice the Exorcist's wariness, staring out the door cautiously and listening for the sound to disappear. He motioned for Lavi to stay put as the sound slowly faded down the hall, waiting a few extra seconds to be sure the killing machine was truly gone before signaling to the redhead that it was once against OK to move.
The pair stepped back into the hallway, the Exorcist again silently following the Noah. Their feet padded quietly down the hall, reaching an intersection within moments. Tyki glanced both ways down the intersecting hallway, checking for any guards or worse - other Noah or the Earl. He nodded, satisfied, and turned down the empty hallway.
Lavi followed, nearly running into the older man's back when Tyki abruptly halted three steps later. The Noah turned towards the doorway he had stopped in front of.
"Tyki?" Lavi asked softly, glancing between the Pleasure's face and the door.
"We're here," the Noah explained, returning the gaze briefly before moving towards the door and grabbing the handle. "Our Ark is rather unstable, so I'll have to lead you through. Without a guide you could fall through the floor and end up a red stain on the ground." The Pleasure began to twist the knob and Lavi was struck by the sudden urge to reach out and grab the Noah's wrist. He barely restrained himself, taking the hand that had started to drift towards the older man and pressing it to his chest.
He didn't understand the Pleasure at all. His initial joy at figuring out that Tyki wouldn't kill him had faded into nothing at the realization that his continued state of living was likely just the Pleasure's whim, and now his emotions had faded back to confusion. Why was the Noah helping him? Why was he doing this? Why did the older man care?
"Is something wrong, lovely?"
The Exorcist jerked his gaze back up, his hand dropping almost guiltily back to his side. Tyki had already opened the door and was looking back at the redhead, eyebrow raised.
The nickname... Tyki hadn't called him 'lovely' at either of their last two meetings, but Lavi hadn't really paid it much attention. When the Pleasure had been trying to kill him, he had purposefully not called Lavi 'lovely' as if trying to create distance between them. Yet, Tyki had called him 'lovely' when the Noah had started helping wrap his injuries. The Exorcist couldn't figure out what had caused the change. The sense of relief he felt at hearing 'lovely' deserved further contemplation, but he didn't want to consider why he felt so happy to have something back he hadn't even realized he had lost.
Noticing that Tyki was still looking at him, he hurriedly replied.
"No, nothing." The Noah stared at him for a moment longer, then turned back to the door and walked through. Lavi followed him, letting the door shut behind him as the Pleasure began to quickly cross the dark room. The door to the Ark hung suspended in the center, the faint light from the pattern of geometric shapes the only source of illumination. Deep shadows hid the walls of the room, making it impossible for the redhead to tell how big the area was. He could sense that it was big, huge even, but couldn't tell the exact size. The Ark alone illuminated an area about ten feet in every direction, but even with that light the redhead couldn't make out the walls.
The Exorcist took the information in out of habit, trained as a Bookman to concentrate on his surroundings but less concerned with the room than with the man walking just in front of him. The Pleasure's longer legs meant longer strides, carrying him to the door of the Ark a step ahead of Lavi. The older man paused, turning towards the Exorcist as the redhead stepped next to him.
Neither felt the many pairs of eyes watching them from the darkness.
"Do you know how to use the Ark?" Tyki asked, a pleased smile forming on his face when Lavi nodded. "Good. Now, let's-"
His words were cut off as something - three somethings, to be exact - shot through his body from behind. He watched in mute shock as three sickeningly familiar candles buried themselves in the Exorcist's chest, sending the redhead stumbling back and clutching at the injuries. One had struck the younger man's already wounded shoulder, a red stain beginning to spread and saturate the shirt and bandages there. One had hit just above the two stab wounds Tyki had wrapped on the redhead's abdomen. The third was in between the two, piercing the younger man high up on his left pectoral and a mere inch or two from his heart. Nothing looked immediately fatal, but the Pleasure couldn't be sure.
A nauseating chill overtook Tyki's body as Lavi doubled over and coughed wetly into his hand. The Exorcist straightened up to reveal blood dripping down his chin and covering his palm. The Noah turned towards the source of the attack, outwardly keeping calm while he trembled inside with an inexplicable mix of fear and anger. He shifted, blocking the injured redhead so he could scan the darkness for the girl he knew had to be there without worrying the younger man would be further hurt. Almost as soon as he began to look, the petite frame of the girl he searched for began to appear. Road sat on top of Lero as the umbrella hung horizontally in the air, both girl and golem unusually silent. Lero was drifting closer to the small circle of light provided by the Ark, bringing both his and the Dream's somber expressions into view.
Unnerved, but not wanting to show how uneasy the situation made him, Tyki spoke.
"Road?" he demanded. "What are you doing here?"
This could be bad, but the situation could be worse. Road might be convinced to stay quiet if he bribed her with enough candy and asked her nicely to keep this from the Earl. They were close - well, as close as he was with any of the other members of the Noah family. Hopefully he could use that.
He could hear Lavi behind him, the redhead's breath coming out in pained gasps. He wanted to turn, to see if the younger man was all right, but that would leave the Exorcist open to attack. Road's candles could simply pass through the Pleasure's body unless the Noah consciously wanted to touch them. He backed up a little, just until he could sense Lavi right behind him. He kept his gaze focused on Road, who still wore that uncharacteristically somber expression. The Dream returned the stare evenly, no longer moving closer and simply hovering in the air on top of Lero.
The Pleasure opened his mouth to ask her again when a new voice interrupted him.
"She's here because I asked her to be here, Tyki-pon."
Instantly, the Noah's insides felt like ice. He turned towards the door to the room, golden eyes wide. He could hear the rustle of cloth as the redhead behind him turned as well and then felt the Exorcist tense in shock. The Millennium Earl stood in the doorway, his ever present smile a direct contrast to the murderous aura around him. Road and Lero drifted towards the Earl, maintaining a constant distance from the male Noah.
The Pleasure would have cursed a blue streak if he had the presence of mind to do so. His deception had been discovered, though he didn't know how. The Earl had obviously figured out that Lavi was still alive somehow, meaning the Earl also knew that Tyki had attempted to deceive him. The large man knew that the Pleasure was a traitor. There was no way the Manufacturer would let that go.
The Noah set his jaw, furious with himself and yet couldn't regret his decision. He may have lost this particular gamble, but his only concern now was getting both himself and the Exorcist out in one piece.
"I'm disappointed in you, Tyki-pon," the Earl said, taking a step into the room. The Pleasure fought the urge to back up. Lavi's breathing behind him was becoming increasingly ragged and wet - the candle in his chest might have punctured a lung. Even with the wax stake obstructing the blood flow into the life-giving organ, it was only a matter of time until the redhead asphyxiated from the fluid in his lung. The Exorcist needed medical treatment as soon as possible. The redhead was in no condition to fight, especially not with his most recent injuries. The wounds were like an hourglass, time slipping away from them with each drop of blood leaking from the younger man's body.
Sweating slightly, Tyki's eyes flicked towards Road. The Dream could create doorways that went anywhere. He and Lavi were right in front of the Ark, but the magical door would not provide asylum. The Earl would simply follow them and so would Road. Unless something distracted the other two in the room-
Tyki's thoughts were interrupted when the Earl spoke again.
"You've been breaking quite a few rules lately. Naughty children who break the rules get punished, Tyki-pon." The Earl's voice was sweet like sugar mixed with cyanide. The large man raised a single hand and made a waving motion. At the gesture, the room's lights came on.
Stunned, the Pleasure could only stare as the light revealed a large horde of Akuma, all Level Two and maybe a few Level Three mixed in for good measure. The killing machines had been waiting by the walls, hidden by the shadows. There were at least fifty Akuma in the room, far too many for Tyki to fight while defending the younger man behind him. He could almost feel the shock and despair radiating from the redhead. A single Exorcist couldn't go up against such a large mob of high-level Akuma and expect to survive, especially not one so badly hurt already.
A Noah, on the other hand, had an ability an Exorcist didn't. Even so, Tyki knew he couldn't protect Lavi from all of the demons and Road and the Earl at the same time. The Pleasure wasn't even certain he'd be able to beat the Noah or the large man, since both were much older than he was. With age came experience and his own power was no match for the sheer force the Earl possessed.
The hopelessness of his situation hit him fully then, hanging on him like a physical weight, but he refused to be crushed by it. There were still a few options open to him, even if none of the options satisfied both his survival instincts and what he was beginning to suspect was his heart.
He twisted his lips sardonically. He was going to do something completely illogical again, even though his last illogical action had landed him in this situation. He had briefly considered simply throwing Lavi to the Akuma and begging the Earl's forgiveness for his temporary lapse, but something inside him had protested. His survival instincts were taking quite a beating from this, but the Pleasure couldn't bring himself to care.
Perhaps the Exorcist wasn't simply a bedwarmer or a particularly satisfying partner, as much as he had tried to convince himself that was all the redhead was to him. The fact that he had gone through with his traitorous plan in the first place and was now considering an even worse betrayal of his 'family' for the younger man was proof enough. If he survived, he would have to think about what exactly Lavi was to him.
If he survived.
He sighed, shrugging his shoulders as if he hadn't a care in the world.
"You've caught me. Rules were made to be broken, after all." Tyki said, smirking confidently. Confusion swarmed around him but did not engulf him, as if he were a tall rock in a rapidly moving river. Neither Road, the Earl, nor Lavi knew what the Pleasure had planned, which was just how the Noah liked it. He craned his neck slightly to glance back at the Exorcist, making sure to keep an eye on the Noah and the Maker. The Akuma would not attack until ordered to and as a Noah Tyki had little to fear from them anyway. With one simple order they would self-destruct - a most helpful feature, now that he had cause to use it.
"You know how to use the Ark, correct? My Tease shall be your guide in place of me." At his silent command, a butterfly morphed out of his shoulder and fluttered over to hover in the air next to Lavi's head. "I suggest you get away from the door as quickly as possible once you're through."
"Wait- Tyki, what are you-"
The Exorcist had no time to finish his question as the Noah carefully but firmly shoved him through the glowing door of the Ark. Lavi yelped in surprise, falling through more than walking through, but Tyki’s objective had been to get the redhead inside the Ark.
"Just what do you think you're doing, Tyki-pon?" The Earl asked, displeased. Tyki stepped away from the door, then lifted his hand and prepared to snap his fingers. He maintained a cool facade, smirking triumphantly as he brought the power given to him as one of the Noah clan to bear. Several of the Akuma in the room, those closest to the suspended, glowing doorway Lavi had just disappeared through, moved towards the door as if in a trance. They circled around it, but none went inside.
"Tyki?" Road asked, speaking for the first time. She seemed confused, but he could see slow realization dawn in her eyes as the Akuma around the doorway began to smoke.
"I guess you could say I'm doing a bit of clean-up, my dear Millennium Earl." Tyki said, sarcasm heavy on the man's title. He snapped his fingers. As a group, the Akuma surrounding the door self-destructed in a blinding blaze of light and deafening roar of screams. He could feel a hot rush of air blow through him, blowing Road over and shoving the Earl back a few feet. The force knocked the remaining Akuma in the room against the wall.
He glanced over his shoulder. Where the door had once stood was a black crater, the wooden planks of the floor pulled up and incinerated by the force of the explosion. That door to the Ark had been destroyed, meaning someone would need to go inside the Ark and open up a new door that would connect to the base before anyone but Road could move about freely once more.
He had effectively blocked anyone but the Dream from getting to Lavi, since there was virtually no chance of any of the other Noah using the Ark in the few minutes it would take his Tease to guide Lavi to a free doorway. The redhead was safe. Now all the Pleasure had to do was keep Road distracted.
Two large, four-pointed stars of solid light formed in his hands. They crackled and gleamed with energy as Tyki stepped away from the crater that had once been the door to the Ark. All he had to do was keep Road distracted for a few minutes, long enough until he was certain that Lavi was out. Road would not attack the Black Order Headquarters directly without an order from the Earl and the large man was not likely to give her one just yet. That part of the Earl's 'scenario' was not yet ready to be performed.
He walked forward slowly, heading for the petite girl that had been blown off her perch by the force of the explosion. She looked up at him, none of the sisterly love he was used to seeing in her expression present. Only betrayal and anger remained. Perhaps the 'love' Road had for him or any of their twisted 'family' was an illusion - the Dream always had been good at those.
Even if she had once loved him, he knew betrayal was unacceptable to her. He had just broken their family's only true taboo and that made him an enemy in Road's eyes. Part of him deeply regretted the loss, since he had only found acceptance with the other Noah the Earl had found and taken in, but he had never been close with the others. Perhaps closeness is what he had desired all along, not bonds forged by a common employer and 'memory' he had no control over.
Even at Skinn's death, even while crying, he had felt nothing. With the other Noah it would be the same.
"Shall we play, Road?" he asked, lifting one of the four-pointed stars. "You're always asking to play with me."
She glared at him, standing up and brushing off her skirt.
"Family comes first, Tyki." she told him, expression cold. "Didn't the Earl teach you that?"
"The lesson must have slipped my mind."
She glared at his cavalier tone.
"Then let's play." she agreed, darkness spreading from her body to engulf the room in one of her famous illusions.
Vaguely wishing for a cigarette, Tyki smirked and lifted his arms.
"Tease!" he called, summoning the butterfly-shaped golems that dwelled within his body. They began to pour out from inside of him, many larger than the width of his hands though most were the small, black colored butterflies all of the Tease began life as. They filled the air, fluttering and hovering as Road's illusion world continued to spread.
TBC…
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