"Okay, I admit that wasn't the best idea in the world." The redhead said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"You're kidding, right?" Allen cried incredulously. "You completely trashed the place!" He fell to his knees in despair, for indeed, the place was trashed.
Broken bottles and pieces of glass littered the floor, making it dangerous to walk without shoes on. Random streamers and ribbons covered the living room floor to ceiling, some attached to the slowly spinning fan, some on dressers and shelves, all of them ridiculously long. Two wigs, one neon pink, the other green, lay underneath a keg-stand with some alcohol left pooling in it. The lamp that had been residing happily on a table by the couch was halfway across the room coated in a fine layer of red and blue spray paint. The couch itself was over-turned, all of the cushions scattered about the room with fresh stains on them, from beer and paint both. On the left wall, someone had drawn a very graphic picture of a penis, among other things. A really scary looking clown mask sat next to the empty cans of spray paint underneath the drawings. Allen had no clue as to how, but a leopard-print bra was sticking to the ceiling, the tag on it shifting slightly in the breeze from the fan.
The only thing in the room that wasn't wrecked in some way was the closet, and that even had some random girl's shirt on it. Allen didn't want to know what the rest of the apartment looked like.
"Lavi…" He couldn't finish the sentence due to the rising fear and panic within him. He took a deep breath and tried again. "Lavi, do you have any idea as to what you've just done?"
"Yeah… I had a party… in your apartment when I told you I would only have a study group over, God Allen, I'm so sorry and I promise I'll help clean up and I'll pay for everything 'cause it's basically all my fault, oh man I'm sorry I trashed your apartment." The last part of Lavi's statement came out in a rush and he looked at Allen with a pleading green eye. But Allen could find no sympathy for his friend.
Mostly because he had wasted all of it on himself.
"No, Lavi, you didn't trash my apartment." He paused with a shudder before continuing. "You trashed Cross Marion's apartment." Just saying the words made Allen nauseous. The redhead stared at him in shock.
"You don't mean- This is…?" Allen saw the realization dawn on his friend's face. All of a sudden hands were yanking him forcefully up from off the ground. He came to be level with the redhead, eyes to eye. "Allen… why didn't you tell me this was Cross fucking Marion's apartment?" He asked calmly, a hint of terror coloring his tone. Allen gulped.
"I thought you already knew." He squeaked. Lavi dropped him without warning and threaded his fingers through his red hair. He turned around and started pacing.
"We are fucked. We are so royally fucked." Allen managed to get his voice back and he glared at Lavi.
"'We?'" He asked in disbelief, his speech a bit hoarse. "This is your fault, Lavi! Not mine; yours." The redhead stopped walking in circles and matched his glare.
"This is partly your fault too, ya know. You're the one who let me borrow the apartment."
"Because you said you were going to tutor some classmates, not throw a party!"
"Hey!" He snapped at me. "I did do some tutoring. I taught everybody how to do a keg-stand. That is something that can't be learned without experienced guidance."
"Are you fucking serious?" Allen screamed. "Do you know what Cross is going to do to me when he gets back? Do you have any idea of how angry he gets? Is there some small inkling in your mind of how much the bastard drinks?" Lavi grabbed Allen's shoulders as he started to hyperventilate. He had to snap his fingers in front of his friend's face in order to get his attention. Even though he began breathing normally again, his eyes didn't focus. The redhead was forced to shake the other roughly by the shoulders.
"Allen, snap out of it! Fighting isn't going to do us any good, but I have a plan." The white-haired boy's eyes narrowed.
"Oh really?" He hissed, although a tiny glimmer of hope had lit up inside him. It was snuffed out just as quickly when he remembered who exactly had offered help. "I don't think you do." The redhead huffed.
"You don't believe me? Come on, Sproutie, you'd think after all this time you finally have some trust in me."
"Don't call me that."
"But seriously," Lavi said passively, observing his nails. Then he looked at Allen with a smug face. "What other option do you have?" Allen felt like he'd been hit with a giant rock.
Lavi was right; he didn't have any choice. He would have to put his faith in this idiot.
Oh, God kill me. Actually, don't. I want to live. "Fine, just tell me what I can do to help." Which is why I hope this works…
Lavi grinned at him menacingly. "I just need one hour. In that time, I can get this whole place clean."
"You really expect me to believe th-."
"Allen. Trust." The white-haired boy crossed his arms angrily but made no comment. "Just make sure Cross doesn't come in here before that, or you will probably die; hehe." Allen gulped.
"You're right about the dying part." Unconsciously, he began rubbing his left hand. Lavi noticed this and cleared his throat awkwardly.
"You okay, Walker?"
"Yeah… I'm good." He shook his head slightly and blinked. He scowled at Lavi. "Just make this place is clean. Master probably won't be home for another hour anyway; but you better be done by then. Or I'll be forced to bring you down with me."
"Yeah, right. Cross won't blame anyone but his incompetent apprentice." Lavi laughed.
"I wasn't talking about Cross." The redhead shivered because he knew precisely who Allen was talking about.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah; got it. Just get out and let me do my thing, 'kay?" Allen nodded numbly and walked out the door. After closing it, he slid down the wall next to it.
All he had to do was sit there and make sure Cross didn't get in. Simple, right?
Wrong. If that crazy womanizer showed up, he would have a serious problem. Even when he was drunk (which was basically every night; he had hangovers during the day) he knew when something was up, especially if his apprentice was involved. And he would find out what had happened, blame Allen, no questions asked, and the white-haired boy would be history. Not even that; Cross would burn any records of him, too.
He hoped that Master would just stay drunk and stay gone for the time being.
And that if worse came to worse, his boyfriend would avenge his death.
With a sigh, Allen pulled his knees to his chest and rested his chin on them. He kept one eye on the staircase and one on the window overlooking the resident parking lot. Drunk or not, Cross Marion always drove his own car.
He tried to relax, but his muscles wouldn't listen to him. He was too nervous that his Master would come back early and see the remains of the party. He strained to think about something other than that, but as much as his mind wandered, it always came back.
This was going to be a long hour.
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Allen didn't realize he had fallen asleep until he woke up.
Immediately, he jumped to his feet and searched frantically down the hall for Cross, but his Master was nowhere in sight. He breathed a sigh of relief and sank back down onto the floor, legs splayed. He checked his watch. Lavi had five minutes until he said he'd be done. About five minute until Cross would be home, too.
Or maybe earlier. He thought as he heard the tell-tale roar of his Master's convertible. His gaze shifted to the window. By the way the car was swerving slightly, he guessed that Cross was drunk.
He didn't know if that was a good or bad thing; he would just assume bad. He glanced back down at his watch. Four minutes left.
Okay, I can do this. He looked around. Maybe he could find something to help him. Unfortunately, the only thing in the hall was a medium-sized package outside their neighbor's door. The click of the door downstairs announced his Master was coming.
I got this. All I have to do is come up with something plausible. A really good explanation. Like rats! There are rats in the apartment. No wait, he'd just walk in there and shoot them with his gun. Oh screw it!
Allen darted over to the paper-wrapped package and grabbed it. Just as a looming shadow appeared on the wall by the stairs, he chucked it.
In the short seconds following, the only thing Allen could hear was the beating of his own heart and his inner voice telling him he was going to die a horrible death. After that, the projectile hit home and the tall redhead tumbled back down the stairs with a loud curse.
Allen wanted to punch himself in the face for doing something so reckless. But he didn't have time.
He pulled open the door and shut as softly as he could behind him, praying his master was too drunk to realize it was him who had thrown that in his face. He almost gasped when he caught sight of the room.
It was clean. It was actually clean. He wanted to cry tears of joy. In fact, he was crying tears of joy.
Lavi strolled into the room with a familiar man trailing behind him. He couldn't pinpoint who it was, but he definitely knew that face.
"Hey, buddy, does it look clean enough for ya?" Allen nodded his head enthusiastically, unable to put his appreciation into words. Lavi laughed as he knelt down in front of him.
"Yeah, I know right? It was all thanks to Tyki over here; couldn't have done it without him." He said affectionately, thrusting a thumb over his shoulder at the man standing behind him. Allen blinked in recognition.
"Tyki as in Tyki Mikk? As in our European Studies Professor?" The golden-eyed man smiled.
"The one and only. Just call me Tyki. I'm off duty so you can do away with the formalities." He extended a hand and Allen gladly took it. The door banged open.
"Allen!" Cross barked. The white-haired boy flinched slightly but otherwise maintained his composure.
"Yes, Master?"
"Did you throw a box at me?" The masked man growled, eyes narrowed. Allen put on his best confused façade (it wasn't hard seeing as his master was the king of lying and deceit, not to mention alcohol.)
"A box?"
"Yes, a box."
"What kind of box?"
"A box, you idiot! Just a box!"
"What color was the box?"
"It was brown- wait! That doesn't even matter!"
"Excuse me." Tyki cut in smoothly, unconsciously placing a defensive hand in front of Lavi, Allen noted. "I can vouch for Mr. Walker here." He turned his intelligent gaze onto Cross. "He was inside the apartment the whole time I've been here. I was tutoring these two, you see. They needed an extra bit of help in my class. I didn't mean to intrude. I apologize if I did, but I was just leaving." The words slid off his tongue so silkily, even Allen wanted to believe them, although he knew it was a complete lie.
Cross seemed just as shaken up. "Um, yes, that's fine. And, uh, thanks for tutoring this brat. I hope he wasn't too much of a bother."
A man who can lie his way into making Cross Marion act nice… I should probably start studying for his class…
"On, no problem at all. He was perfectly fine. Such a promising boy you have there, Mr. Marion." He said, wrapping his hand around Lavi's and pulling him towards the door. The redhead let himself be dragged along with a small smile gracing his mouth. "Goodbye, for now. See you in class, Al-." A loud noise interrupted his speech. He frowned.
"What was that?" Lavi asked. The noise sounded again. It was like something pounding on a door and rubbing sandpaper at the same time. It was coming from the closet.
All eyes were on the two shut doors just as girl practically fell out onto the carpet. She pushed herself up, swaying slightly. Her blonde hair fell in rivulets around her neck and her tank top didn't very well conceal the fact that she wasn't wearing a bra. She staggered over to Allen, who was planning his Will, and placed both hands on his shoulders.
"Awesome party, little man." She croaked, voice too hoarse to do much else. And with that, she strode out of the apartment, singing a song under her breath. When she was gone, stark, cold silence darkened the room.
"So… Allen-."
"Uh, we'll be going now!" Lavi squeaked. He yanked Tyki out by their clasped hands and slammed the door shut behind them, ignoring the death threat in Allen's eyes. They made their way down the stairs together, Lavi holding his breath until they reached their cars. He released it finally, and looked at Tyki suspiciously.
"Did you leave her there on purpose?" The golden-eyed man shrugged and pulled Lavi closer.
"Did I?"
"You just answered my question with another question." Tyki chuckled and wrapped his arm around Lavi's waist.
"I did. Any other obvious statements for me?"
"No but I do have a question."
"Shoot." Lavi raised a leopard-print bra into the air.
"Should we go give this to her?"
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I probably should be working on my chapter story right now, but I had to put this thing down. Sorry lovely readers, I promise ill get it done soon. :D
RandR!
