Scientific Attraction
A -Man Fanfic
By SailorLight22
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Sometimes, a man just needed to build things.

For a man who had little else that he cared to do, any day was a good day for creation, for testing the boundries of what could be done and undone with only a few hours of hard work and coffee.

Eyeing the somewhat bulky machine at his feet, Komui decided that if nothing else, tinkering made the day pass more quickly, and the sound of his tools seemed to insure his continued privacy from certain blonde-haired assistants. Sinking into a handy chair, he stretched his arms over his head tiredly.

'At least this one will help.' He mused, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands. 'It'll take the guesswork out of finding a worthy man for Linali-chan..' Straightening, he pushed himself to his feet with a wince, silently cursing the painful crick in his neck. 'I'll just have to test it first.. But..' He glanced around the deserted office, wondering if complete solitude might prove more difficult than he'd anticipated. Sighing in resignation, he reached for the control box.

'I'll just have to do it to myself, then.. If I walk around and nothing happens, I can always try someone else.' The thought that there would most likely be no reaction was mildly perturbing, but he set that melancholy idea aside for future late-night wine musings as he stepped squarely in front of the machine's targeting antenna, fiddling with the preset firing mechanism.

Keying in the proper settings and range data, he closed his eyes against the swift glare of light that preceded the machine's activation, blinking at the spotty afterimage with a laugh. 'Well, it didn't explode, and I'm still alive, so that's two out of three right there.. Now all I need to do is walk around the building for a while, and see if I feel anything-' The internal monologue broke off abruptly at the sound of a thunderous crash close by, an oddly panicked shout drawing his attention to the lab's closed door. Striding quickly to investigate, he pulled it open just in time to catch a flailing figure to his chest, the hurtling weight swinging him around and sending both of them to the floor with bone-jarring force.

Spitting out a mouthful of lightly-scented hair, he shook his head dizzily, gaping in confusion at the form plastered atop him awkwardly as they groaned. "Lavi..? What the hell happened?" The redhaired Exorcist struggled to push himself to his elbows, his eye glazed from the impact with the older man's aching shoulder.

"Ouch..'Mui..? I was going down the hall, and it felt like something just.. grabbed me by the back of my coat.. Dragged me backward and then I was in here.." Shaking his head, the boy lifted a hand to his face, patting his forehead absently. "Lost m'headband.." He muttered distractedly, shifting his weight with a hiss. Settling his knees on the floor, he pushed back his hair, freezing at the other's shaken wheeze. Glancing down at his position above the scientist's hips, he flushed hotly, sliding backward with a confused yelp as the other jerked upright against his chest. "Wait! I'll get up- Hey!"

Wavering at the man's heavier body, he cried out in surprise as they toppled over, the scientist's arm snapping up to catch his head only inches from the solid stone of the floor. "What- Why did you do that? I said I'd get up, dammit! Get off, you're heavy!" He shoved urgently at the other's chest, his efforts frantic as the man refused to budge. "Cut it out! You.. 'Mui? Why are you making that face..? What's going on?"

Staring down at the boy in horror, Komui shook his head. "I think I'm.. We.." Placing a hand on the floor, he slid the other between them, resting the palm against the Exorcist's chest carefully. Ignoring the panicked exhale of protest, he pushed firmly, rocking backward with a low grunt. Steadying himself, he tried again, arching his back as he struggled uselessly. After several seconds of effort, he slumped in realization. "I think we're stuck."

The redhead stared up at him blankly, his voice deceptively mild. "Stuck? As in, together? Like this? Well, no wonder you can't get up then." Lifting his knees, he pressed his palms to the man's chest, his gaze taking on a faintly warning gleam. "How long do you think we'll be.. inseperable? Couple minutes, hours..?" The older man shook his head cautiously, bracing himself on his arms to meet the boy's questioning look.

"I'm not really sure, that was the first test I ran, so-" The redhead's face paled, then darkened to rival his hair, his hands closing into the front of the man's coat.

"Test? Something you made did this?! Tell me that you remembered to make an off switch. Tell me that, and I probably won't kill you." He smiled brightly, the expression only slightly marred by the presence of far too many teeth. "Go on. You're a smart guy, so obviously you thought of that before you turned whatever it was on."

Returning his disturbing grin shakily, the scientist glanced to the side. "Of course. Turning the machine off might help, but.." He winced at the sound of the boy's quiet growl, closing his eyes tightly. "I think that's what broke our fall."

The Exorcist stilled for an instant, then began to shake the surprised man roughly by his coatfront, planting his heels firmly against the sides of his hips as he shouted. "Idiot! Why can't you just do your damned job and stop fucking everything up?" He shoved angrily at the other's chest, pushing with his legs as he bucked. "Don't just lay there, help me! We can't just stay like this, somebody might-"

As if to mock the pair's sad dilemma, the door swung open abruptly, hitting the wall with a sharp crack. "Nii-san, what's going on? I heard a noise, and.. What the hell are you doing down there? Is..Is that.. Oh, God!" The girl backed into the hall rapidly, waving her hands at the astonished couple on the floor. "I don't even want to know. Just.. Next time, lock the door!" Fumbling for the knob, she flipped the latch quickly, pulling the door closed with a bang.

Komui struggled to his elbows, ignoring the boy's yowl of indignation. "Wait! Linali-chan, we're not..! Come back! Fuck!" Gritting his teeth in mortification, he clenched his fists. "Now she thinks I'm in here molesting you! Dammit, stop kicking for a minute so I can think!" Glaring down at the flailing Exorcist, he took hold of his wrists, jerking the other's hands away from his coat with a hiss. "And stop pushing! If I'd known you were going to go psychotic, I'd have let you crack your pretty head when we fell the last time and saved myself the beating!"

Snorting at the boy's astonished stare, he released his hands, shaking his head. "We really cant stay here, though.. Hold onto me, I'm going to try to get up." Quelling the redhead's imminent protest with a look, he leaned closer. "Just do it, Lavi. I won't be able to move us both if you don't help, and it's a lot better than me trying to grope you to keep from falling." Waiting for the Exorcist to wrap his arms and legs around him, he shifted onto his heels, looking around the room quickly. "Don't let go, I'm going to try for the chair over there." Pressing a hand to the boy's back, he rose with a soft exhale of effort, backing carefully toward the threadbare seat across the room. Feeling the seat against his knees, he shifted his hold to the other's thighs. "All right.. Let go so I can sit down. I'll hold on so that you won't slip."

Unlocking his tight grip, the Exorcist clenched his arms awkwardly, allowing the older man to support his weight as he sank down with a relieved sigh. Shifting to make room for the redhead's bent legs, he huffed at the boy's raised position. "Just sit. You can't hold yourself up like that, and I don't know how long its going to be, anyway."

Relaxing cautiously, the redhead settled himself reluctantly on the man's lap, his face averted stubbornly. "Not that it matters, but exactly what was that thing supposed to do?" He frowned at the other's quiet laugh, his annoyed retort cut off by a wave.

"It was meant to attract people to the person who most suited them. It wasn't supposed to do so literally, but that's what initial testing is for, hm?" Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Komui shook his head. "I used it on myself, since there wasn't anyone else there.. I figured I'd have to find another volunteer though, since there's obviously no one here for me." Leaning his head back, he sighed. "It's just as well. I'll have to rebuild it, but it wouldn't have worked anyway.. If it had, you wouldn't be here." The redhead blinked at him in surprise, lifting a curious eyebrow.

"No one.. What's that supposed to mean? You've got your sister, the science workers.. How could you know for sure that nobody here would suit you?" The older man hummed questioningly, dropping his hands to the chair's armrests.

"Why would I think that? Because I've been here for a long time, Lavi. I've met almost everyone here, and I can honestly say that none of them seemed.. Interested. Or interesting, for that matter. I told you, I only used it on myself because I had to. I figured I'd look around, then come back and try it on someone else." Closing his eyes, he smiled thinly. "If you hadn't been the only person in range, this probably wouldn't have happened.. I'm sorry about that, but I promise I'll find a way to fix it."

Lavi shook his head quickly, frowning. "I wasn't. I passed about seven other people, and I was right in front of Johnny when that thing jerked me in here. It couldn't be because of Nyoibo either, because Miranda and Chaoji were down here too." He bit his lip suddenly, his face coloring. "Did.. Was it supposed to make people attracted to each other, or just show who would be good together? Like, people who were already.. If there was someone who already liked a person, would it show that..?"

Staring at him in astonishment, the older man nodded. "It should have shown me who might be the best match for me. I assumed I'd feel something, so that I'd know when I saw them.. Why do you ask?" The Exorcist looked away, fidgeting nervously.

"I thought it might cause people to do things, that's all. It's bad enough to be stuck together, without worrying that one of us might have a sudden urge to-" He laughed anxiously, the pitch slightly higher than normal. "It's nothing, I just wondered. But if it was only supposed to show you, why are we.. Like this? Wouldn't it stop as soon as you knew who was supposed to be good for you?"

Komui sighed tiredly, shaking his head. "I don't know why this happened, really. It was only supposed to bring people together, not keep them that way.. It could be anything, like an admission, or maybe acceptance of the fact. If it actually made people attracted physically, it could be different, like there has to be a touch, or-" He stiffened, blinking at the boy in shock. "That might work! If the reaction was simply overdone, then the response to disable it could be the same. It could just be something more intense than what it normally would have been." Laughing to himself, he shifted his weight to fit more comfortably in the chair. "That could almost be a good thing, if the couple was timid. Spoken admissions or casual touching would be hard if both people were naturally shy, so something more direct would make sure that they understood each other. It's just a matter of calibration, to evoke a different level of response.. I'll have to remember that, for later!"

The boy nodded impatiently, biting his lip. "But this isn't like that, because we're already touching.. Do you really think its just because that isn't enough to undo it? Understanding it didn't make a difference either, because you explained and I still can't get up.." He pushed against the man's chest in example, his attempts to move off of his lap fruitless. Sinking back down, he clenched his hands determinedly. "Close your eyes."

Komui lifted an eyebrow curiously, blinking at his shaky demand. "Why? What are you-" He jumped in surprise as the boy took hold of his face, turning it to the side as he leaned in to press his lips against one cheek. "Lavi, I don't think.." The Exorcist hissed in annoyance, his hold firm.

"No, you don't. Do me a favor and don't talk either." He pulled the man back around, catching his mouth hesitantly. For a moment, Komui was too stunned to do anything but sit, his heart pounding in disbelief. Pulling back, the redhead glared at him fiercely, his face nearly crimson in mortification. "Help, dammit! I know you can do better than that, you're twice my age!"

Shaking off his bemusement, the older man glared back at him angrily. "I most certainly am not! I'm eleven years older than you, and it isn't an issue of age! How would you feel if someone just grabbed you like that? I doubt you'd do any better, so don't blame it on me!" He pushed the boy's hands away from his face, frowning. "I don't think that would work anyway, not if you didn't mean it! I didn't build the damn thing to have people climbing all over each other, I made it so that people would find someone they belong with!"

Taking a breath, he relaxed, shaking his head. "It wouldn't help us anyway, Lavi. I'm just guessing that it would work like that for people who were mutually attracted to each other." Humming at the boy's odd expression, he coughed. "It might wear off on its own, you know. We can wait and see, it's not like anyone can come in.. Lavi? What's wrong?" The Exorcist looked away, picking at the hem of his jacket.

"You don't think it would work if it was only.. One-sided? Or do you think it would have to be something more-" He bit his lip, ignoring the heat in his face. "I'm sorry for grabbing you, but I thought it might work if I didn't hate you or anything.." Forcing himself to turn back, he smiled crookedly. "It was pretty awful, wasn't it..?"

Blinking in surprise, Komui shook his head slowly. "I didn't mean it like that, I just said that I didn't expect it. As far as only one person liking the other, I don't think it would matter for this. If that was enough, I would have tried it myself." Seeing the other's eye widen, he held up his hands defensively. "I would have asked! Don't worry, it's not like I think about you that way, I just wonder.." He faltered awkwardly, wincing at the look on the boy's face. "God, now you think I'm old and perverted.. I really should try thinking before I talk.."

The Exorcist inhaled quickly, catching one of the older man's wrists. "No, finish. What do you wonder? What it would be like, or if I can even feel like that..? I'm not supposed to, but I can. That's why the old man's always yelling at me, because it's worse now. That girl's dream did something to me, but I was already starting to change before that." He pulled the other's hand down to his knee, laughing softly. "He can't blame me, because this identity was his idea. I've always had to ignore it, but I think about things I shouldn't all the time." Bending his head, he paused just above the man's upturned face, closing his eye in embarrassment. "Can.. Is it all right to..?"

Nodding faintly, Komui leaned up to meet him, shivering at the almost fearful brush of the redhead's lips on his own. Curling a hand around the back of his head, he urged the Exorcist closer, his pulse quickening at the boy's shaky response. Licking at the corner of his mouth, he deepened the kiss slowly, tracing his lower lip before seeking out the other's tongue with a questioning hum. The feeling of a hand sliding along his chest was nerve wracking, but it was the soft sound of a whine that made him shudder, his free hand pressing firmly against the boy's back as he moaned in reply.

Lifting his head, Lavi blinked down at the scientist silently, shifting to sit further back along his legs. "I.. I think it worked.. I couldn't get this far away, before." He fidgeted anxiously, rising to his knees. "I couldn't do that, either.."

Komui swallowed audibly, dropping his hands to the boy's sides. "It feels different, now. I don't think we'd fall, if.." He cleared his throat, forcing a smile. "Are you going to get up..?" The Exorcist nodded slightly, his face still flooded with color.

"Yeah. Just.. Not right now." He leaned in, pressing their mouths together for a third time, his hands shaking as they wrapped snugly around the man's shoulders. Feeling the other's fingers dig carefully into his hair, he slid closer with a low whimper, gasping in surprise when the older man pulled his head back to lick at the junction of his throat. Growling in agreement, Komui moved away from the chair's backrest, his arm tightening around the redhead's hips to draw him forward.

"You should.. Too much more and I might not want to let you.." He followed the rise of one shoulder with lips and teeth, biting carefully at the skin when the Exorcist's knees pressed close against his hips. "Now, Lavi..? You wouldn't want Linali-chan to be right, would you?" Releasing the boy's hair, he worked his hand between them, trailing a finger up the seam of his zipper. "You've got about five minutes, before assumption turns into fact.. That's not a lot of time, really."

Shaking his head, the Exorcist leaned into the touch. "S'too long.. Do you really want to..?" He blushed furiously, closing his eye as the older man raised his lips to his jaw. "I'd let you." He mumbled, biting his lip. "I wouldn't tell anyone if you didn't want me to, but.." Lifting his head, Komui stared at him incredulously.

"Why would I not want you to say anything? I'd think you wouldn't want Bookman to know, but I don't care who you tell about any of this! I wouldn't touch you if I were worried about that, Lavi." Moving back, he relaxed his hold on the boy's hips, pushing down his body's protest at the gesture. "Maybe this isn't a good idea, until we think about it a little more.. It's not like we don't have time to make something out of all this, so why not take the time to get things in order?" He smiled at the redhead's confused expression, nodding toward the quietly sparking machine on the floor.

"If that didn't work like it was supposed to, nothing we just did would have negated it. Maybe it was a little more than I thought it would be, but that doesn't change the fact that you're here.. Do you want to try getting to know each other, to see if there's something..?" Sliding backward, Lavi rose to his feet, stepping back to give the other room to stand.

"Do you think there is? I wouldn't mind trying, if you want to.." He craned his head, meeting the older man's gaze. "I've got a mission this week, but when I get back.." He nodded slowly, his lips curling into a faint grin. "Why not? Look me up sometime, and you can ask pretty much anything you want. I could think of a couple things I'd like to know too." Rising to his toes, he pressed a quick kiss to the other's lips, smiling impishly. "I'll tell you one thing early though.. I'm not really all that patient, so don't wait too long. I might come looking for you."

He turned to leave, stepping carefully wide of the ominously crackling debris. "Might want to clean that up, too.. I'd hate to think that you'd waste a perfectly good afternoon putting out a fire.." With a last glance over his shoulder, The Exorcist opened the door, the usually brisk sound of his footfalls replaced with a more thoughtful tread as it swung shut behind him.

Sinking tiredly into the forgotten chair, Komui couldn't help but think that his first impulse had been right all along.

Sometimes, a man just needed to build things.
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Well, that's two.. I must be resurrecting myself, a little crack at a time. Please review, stop the madness XD