Happy Valentine's Day! This is a ONESHOT. It's the first in my Valentine's Day madness. I'm going to put out other fics (some DGM, some not), all slash, because I can't find plot bunnies for anything else right now. And it's Laven to start out!
Warning:Mentions boy/boy sex. I'll put the rating as T, though.
Disclaimer: No. I definitely don't own any of this. Hoshino owns DGM and all of those hotties. All I can do [though maybe not legally] is this.
In a Lonely World
Lavi knew that he should have listened to Yu's advice and stayed at the dorms.
But it was Valentine's Day and once again Lenalee and Road were celebrating the fact that they didn't have boyfriends (not that no one wanted them) by going downtown and spending all day rushing through everything, experiencing more than a normal person would do in a month. They went to at least five different places to eat or drink coffee, went shopping, went movie hopping, went bowling, went to a dance club, had their fortunes told, and were just plain spontaneous. If they saw something and thought it would be fun, they would rush off and do it. Lavi only went along because they asked him to. He didn't get as enthusiastic as they did about these things, but it was nice to see his friends enjoying themselves without anything (except the law and money restraints) holding them back.
It was almost midnight. Lavi remembered that the last few times the girls had done this, they had gone to sing karaoke until dawn. Somehow, every year their voices were still intact despite all of the shouting they had done all day. He had been asleep by then, regardless of the massive amounts of caffeine he consumed to try to keep up with them. Seriously, someone should give him a medal. People called him hyper occasionally, but they should try to follow Lenalee and Road on one of these Girls' Nights. It was definitely one of the most strenuous things he did all year, and that included both a New Years' party with a semi-intoxicated Yu Kanda and a birthday party that ended with them running from the cops.
Still, he had to admit that the day was enjoyable. Especially the times when he was asked which young woman was his girlfriend and either Road or Lenalee would reply with a hearty "Neither!" and they would all laugh. But at this time of the night, he really was looking forward to lying down on that karaoke bench and sleeping until Road woke him up by pouncing on him.
But this time, Lenalee was driving her car, filled with things bought from at least twenty different stores, in a different direction.
"This isn't where you usually go," Lavi noted quietly, looking at the unfamiliar lights and neon signs outside the car window. He may have been in this part of the city before, but not at night.
"Nope!" Road replied, excitedly. "This year, I've found something different to do! It's much better than singing karaoke all night." She had a wicked gleam in her eyes that Lavi didn't have the spare brain cells to analyze.
"What is it?" he asked, hoping they would be kind enough to tell him.
"You'll see," Lenalee said with a similar smile. She squeezed the wheel tightly and pretended to focus on the road. Lavi had a feeling that he wouldn't be too pleased with their final destination for the night. But what could he do? Even if he wrote 'Help, I've been kidnapped by two insane single women!' on a piece of paper and held it up to the window, no one would see it, because it was too dark. And anyone with sense would be at home with their loved ones.
After a few more minutes of silence, Lenalee stopped her car in a parking space on the side of the road. "We'll have to walk a minute to get there," she explained to Road. Lavi looked around, but he still couldn't tell where they were heading. Lenalee and Road skipped down the sidewalk eagerly with Lavi wondering where they got all that energy.
Finally they stopped in front of an exotic-looking building with bright lights illuminating the sign. Most of the front was decorated in a mixture of light and shadow, leaving people to create fantasies about what was inside. Although, the sign gave it away: Club Noah's Ark.
Lavi sighed. "A host club? Really?" The girls grinned at him and began to drag him inside. "You know, these are for girls! I'm a guy. Why don't I just kill time somewhere else?"
Lenalee shook her head. "Lavi, the whole point of us doing these things on Valentine's Day is to celebrate how we can be together as friends and not lovers or anything like that. We're celebrating friendship in the face of a holiday that pretty much forces people to fake love in order to keep up appearances. If you left, it would be like saying that our friendship will end someday."
"Still, why a host club?" Lavi asked, looking with hesitation at the flashy sign, coming closer each second that the girls pulled him towards the doors. "Doesn't that defeat the purpose of avoiding love?"
"No, silly," Road chastised. "A host club is a place where girls go to feel like princesses without committing to a relationship. It's the perfect place to end our night, because we can say that we can not only experience more life, but also romantic flattery, without having a boyfriend."
"So why am I here," Lavi tried to say, but Road and Lenalee weren't listening anymore. They were finally inside the entrance and Lenalee had already marched up to the front desk.
The man behind the counter looked like he was in his thirties or early forties, though he still had a dazzling smile to welcome his customers. "Good evening!" he exclaimed brightly. "You ladies, and gentleman, are just in time for our super-special, one-time only, Valentine's Night special! For the price of one, you can spend your time with three of our lovely hosts! Numbers: 2, 3, and 14!" He pointed towards a glowing board that contained the pictures of all of the hosts available. Lenalee and Road both ogled over the images that they saw.
"We struck gold, Road!"
"I know! This is going to be the best Valentine's ever!"
Lavi tried to share their gusto, but it was difficult. He felt so awkward just being in this place, where a guy's looks and charms were sold to young women for an hour or so, every night. Maybe if he was a girl, he could understand why they were so enthusiastic, but he was a guy! What was he doing here?
The man led the girls to a booth in the back, where three young men were waiting. As they walked through the building, Lavi couldn't help but notice how unbelievably full of lights the club was, yet how it still remained dark enough to be romantically striking. He tried to stick to the girls so he wouldn't get any funny looks, but he just felt so weird being there. Faint music played from the speakers positioned regularly throughout the room.
They sat down at the booth, Lenalee and Road automatically sitting so that they would have a host on either side, while Lavi tried to sit as far as possible from them all. But the three hosts gave him the same treatment they were giving the girls. The one with long, wavy black hair sat in between Road and Lenalee, and looked like he was enjoying it. The one with shorter, straight black hair sat on the side of Lenalee. His arms were crossed and he gave off a dark aura, but it wasn't hostile. And the last host, who had startlingly white hair (probably bleached), sat between Lenalee and himself, smiling pleasantly. All three of them were wearing fashionable clothes that seemed to match their projected images. Though, the true colors were hard to distinguish in the light.
"It's nice to be able to spend time with such lovely young ladies," the wavy-haired man said, offering a drink to Road. She accepted it, grinning like a cat.
"What are your names? Lenalee asked eagerly. "It doesn't have to be your real names, just what you want us to call you." Lavi wondered why she still had so much energy. He personally didn't. He reached for a cup filled some oddly-colored liquid. Maybe it was alcohol. Maybe drinking would help him forget about the embarrassing situation he was in right now.
"My name here is Joy," the wavy-haired said with a seducing smile, which Road was delighted by. She hooked her free arm onto the man's body.
"Judge," said the host next to Lenalee shortly. Lenalee bit her lip in an attempt to hide her grin. Lavi vaguely remembered that she liked silent, mysterious types. She slid closer to the black-haired man.
"Just call me Neo," the last one said in a young but musical voice.
"That means 'new,' right?" Road asked, grinning like a predator at him. Neo smiled.
"Yes it does," he said warmly. "It comes from Greek word, if you were wondering, my fair lady."
"It's because he's the newest host here," Joy explained to both girls. "Though he's still a perfect host, if I do say so myself. If I didn't work here, I'd come just for him." Neo's face flushed and he looked down at the table quickly, which made Road squeal with delight.
Lavi felt even more awkward than before.
"Um, Lenalee, Road," he managed to say, "Before you get carried away, can I ask what we're doing after this?"
They gave him reassuring looks. Lenalee said, "It's okay, Lavi. We actually rented two rooms in a hotel nearby, so if we do get a little tipsy, we don't have to go across the city to rest. Road's the designated driver, and the one who's going to pay, so feel free to drink as much as you want. I'm getting subtle hints from my female intuition that you're feeling really uncomfortable right now."
"Oh, he's not enjoying himself?" Joy asked with a low chuckle. "That's too bad. We accept both girls and guys. At least I do." He looked Lavi over, who rolled his head back, trying to avoid any more attention.
"He's just tired from all the stuff we did today," Road said, turning her eyes back to the host.
"Oh? Tell us? I think Judge seems pretty interested too,"
Lavi sighed silently and reached for another drink. His hand was starting to get a little shaky, and he didn't want much attention, so he moved his hand slowly. But this caught the attention of Neo, who could tell with one look that Lavi just wanted some peace. As the two other hosts listened and commented on Lenalee and Road's descriptions of the day, he quietly poured drink after drink for Lavi. Meanwhile, the redhead couldn't even begin to think of how glad he was of some silent company. This was better than going somewhere by himself, or even staying in the dorm with a Yu Kanda who was fed up with confessions from college girls he didn't even know.
Besides, with each sip of whatever-drink-he-was-given, he kept getting funny thoughts in his head. Neo looked cuter and more angelic with every drink he poured or mixed, all of which he was sure tasted great. Soon Neo's face and eyes were spinning in Lavi's mind. He couldn't hear much of the music anymore, and the girls' conversation was just a buzz in his ears. He was distantly aware of what was happening, but his memory was short-termed now. He took another glass from the soft, beautiful, fragile-looking fingers.
Strange. Somewhere, he knew he had felt like this before, but it felt so much better now.
So much…
(hearts to everyone who's reading and plans on reviewing!)
Happy Valentine's from Kimiko and Flanagan!
Lavi opened his eyes, and then shut them tightly. He had a horrible headache, probably from alcohol, if the smell on his breath was anything to go by. He felt sheets beneath him, so he must be in that hotel room that Lenalee and Road had mentioned last night. He racked his tired senses for anything else. The room was cool, but for some reason he wasn't wearing that much. Oddly his hair felt wet. He didn't remember it raining last night. Did he take a shower when he got to the hotel room? He couldn't remember.
Anything.
From last night.
A slight wave of panic tried to overwhelm the hangover.
No, it was okay. He just got too drunk and didn't remember what he did. But honestly, what could he have done? Honestly, it was a host club, not some sketchy strip club in Las Vegas. Road and Lenalee had been there too, and they got him here, so they must be alright. And he clearly wasn't in jail, so that was another huge plus. He sighed in relative relief and turned slightly in the bed.
Only to find himself facing that beautiful white-haired host from last night.
Lavi sat up quickly and stared in disbelief, which changed to shock to horror. No. No. NO! This was not happening! He sat up suddenly and the movement made Neo stir. The younger man sighed like a kitten and reached his left hand up to touch his face. Lavi was momentarily distracted by it. The arm had been inked with so many tribal tattoos that it was almost black. And now that they were in a room with natural light, Lavi could make out a faint pinkish scar running down the side of his face. It made the host look even more exotic and even more beautiful.
Lavi quickly snapped himself out of his inner musings. He was here, almost naked, in a bed with a host he had only known for an hour. He could convince himself of many things, but there was pretty much only one conclusion to this situation, regardless of how he didn't remember a thing. He shook Neo's bare shoulder gently, which looked almost white in the morning light and against the hotel sheets. Slowly, he opened his eyes. Once again, Lavi almost lost his train of thought. Neo's eyes were a gray so brilliant that they looked silver. He sat up and faced Lavi.
But he had to focus, even with the pounding hangover. "Neo, right?" The host nodded wordlessly, with a patient, blank face. Damn, how was Lavi supposed to ask this? His head hurt too much to think straight, so he went for the direct approach. "Uh, do you remember what happened last night? What are you doing here?"
Neo blinked in surprise. A faint blush colored his cheeks and he glanced away. "Well, you—" he began.
The suspense was interrupted by a rumbling sound on the bedside table. Neo reached for the phone that was lying there and flipped it open. Lavi was still so close to him that he could read the text message over the host's shoulder.
'Allen~ U got laid, didn't U? :P'
Lavi felt his stomach drop about twenty meters. So his fears were true. Neo/Allen frowned, and quickly began typing a reply.
'shut up Tyki. of course not'
But Lavi was sure that Neo—Allen—was just trying to hide the painful truth. He caught Lavi's glance again, and then looked away.
"I'm sorry." If it weren't for Lavi's state of shock, he might have been amused at the British accent that he hadn't noticed last night. "I suppose it was wrong of me to follow you, especially in that state, but you were saying…um…things, and I—" he broke off again when another message popped up on the screen.
'right…M.E. sez hes glad ur growing up. hez crying tho. Lol U should C it'
Allen furiously wrote his response.
'I said SHUT UP, you bloody jerk'
The next reply was almost instantaneous. Lavi felt weird reading over Allen's shoulder, but he was interested in what the texts said. Right now, they were the only clues to last night's events.
'waz it fun? ;)'
Allen briefly glanced at Lavi and blushed even darker with a scowl on his face. Lavi felt a horrible pang of guilt that he didn't remember anything. Too many things were still a mystery. Was it good? Or was it a bad experience that Allen didn't want to relive? He wasn't even sure which one he was hoping it would be. He faintly watched Allen type the next message.
'PLEASE don't tell anyone.'
So it was embarrassing? Well, Lavi didn't have too much experience with sex, so he could understand if that was the case. He'd had a girlfriend before, but it was only for a little while before she broke up with him. He hadn't felt much during the times they slept together. He got more excitement from hearing her voice during the actions than from actually having sex with her. But he still hadn't felt like he was in love. Was he homosexual?
Right now, the only way he could tell for certain was by what Allen decided to tell him.
'Im not telling NE1. But the twinz r here, so yeah'
"Oh, God," the white-haired host moaned, dropping the phone onto the bed. He put his head in his hands. "They're going to be so stupid when I get back," He began to get up from the bed, but paused, wincing when he felt the pain in his back, that Lavi knew came from having sex.
Lavi's body moved on its own and he embraced the young host from behind. Allen stiffened in his arms.
"What are you planning on doing now? A repeat of last night? I'll say this now: I'm not a pushover. I'll seriously hurt you if you try anything."
Lavi inwardly wondered why, if this was the case; Allen had apparently gone along with everything last night. Or…was it nonconsensual? He decided not to push his luck. "I can't really say I'm sorry for what happened, since I don't remember any of it." Lavi only realized after he said this that it might have been a dumb thing to say. "But can I make it up to you in any way?"
"Just leave me alone." Allen tried to get up again, but Lavi had noticed a slight hesitation in his voice. Did the host have any leftover feelings from last night? He kept his grip tight on the younger person.
"Do…do you regret it?"
Allen froze. Lavi could just barely see a faraway gaze on his face. He was considering. That spoke volumes. Whatever they did the night before was apparently special to Allen. Or at least it affected him deeply. So, maybe it had been special to Lavi too?
Lavi didn't really know. He had flirted with plenty of girls before, and had complimented them in lewd ways, but even when he was dating, he had never really felt the rush of emotions that came from being in love. The closest thing he had felt to that had occurred this morning when he woke up to see the white-haired angel sleeping beside him.
He heard Allen's light voice again. "I do regret it. I had sex with a guy who was too drunk to know or care what he was doing. In the state you were in, you probably would have enjoyed humping an empty bed. God, what a stupid mistake," The words cut deeply. Lavi almost loosened his grip in depression, but tightened it again when Allen began to pull away. "Let go." Allen snapped. "I'll tell Tyki that you're molesting me again."
"No," Lavi said, "I admit that I was drunk last night. Now I have a hangover and no recollection of what happened. I just want to know what happened."
"Can't you tell by the situation you're in?"
"Just talk to me, please," Lavi begged. "I didn't talk with you much last night, so we'll make up for it now."
"Why?"
Lavi wondered why indeed. "Because I don't want you to think I'm just an ass who would rape a guy and leave in the morning. I'm not that kind of person. So please, can we just talk it over?" He released Allen and waited for the response. After a few tense moments, the white-haired host sighed and turned around to face him.
"All right," he said darkly. "You can start now."
Lavi exhaled in relief. "Okay. I'm Lavi Bookman. I'm twenty-two and I go to Black Mountain College here in the city. I'm studying archaeology and ancient history. I don't have a job yet. I'm a transfer student from…well, my family moved around a lot, so I'm from all around, I suppose. I wear an eye patch because I think it's cool, though there's nothing really wrong with my eye." He was pleased to hear Allen laugh at this. Lavi grinned and continued. "I don't have any brothers or sisters. I don't have a favorite food because I love all types of food. My favorite color is green. Um, I like reading and spending time with my friends. You met Lenalee and Road last night. There's also a cranky guy named Yu Kanda, who says he hates me, but I'm sure he doesn't mean it. And I know a bunch of other people too. I guess you could say I'm the social guy on campus. Though," he paused. "I'm not really close to anyone in particular."
"So even though you put up a friendly face to anyone you meet, you still can't make close bonds?" Allen asked. He was leaning against the headboard and hugging his knees, which were still hidden by the sheets. Lavi considered this take on his situation for a moment.
"I guess so."
Wow, did immediate understanding and personality analysis come with being a host? Allen could be a damn good psychologist if he tried.
"All right, then it's my turn. I'm Allen. I'm not going to tell you my last name because I'm still trying to decide whether or not to tell my friends to kill you. Just so you know they could kill you without blinking an eye. Obviously I work at a host club. I'm twenty and I don't go to college. Actually I dropped out of high school in the middle of eleventh grade. I'm from England and I came here with my uncle, who lives somewhere in the city. I live with my friend Tyki, who's 'Joy' at the club. My favorite color is black, I'm an only child, and I love food as well."
"Can I ask you a question?"
"You may, though I feel no obligation to answer. Remember, I am a host, and I usually only do this when I am paid to do so."
"Why is your arm tattooed?"
Allen looked straight into Lavi's eyes with an amused smile. "That's an interesting question to start with. I thought you were going to ask about last night."
"That might come later." Lavi said. Right now, he wanted Allen to relax a bit more around him. He was trying to be pleasant too, even if the hangover was constantly reminding him of what he had done.
"I suppose it's because I live in a lonely world," Allen said, his voice like a soft breeze. "I didn't do it for attention. It was more because I wanted to do something to myself. I wanted something that made me feel different than other people. I got them after I dropped high school. It was actually at that tattoo studio that I first met Tyki. Though, we just chatted as friends back then. I only started working at the Earl's place several months ago. Oh, 'the Earl' is what we call the manager of the club. He's the fat guy who welcomed you at the door."
Lavi took each piece of information in carefully, trying hard to think them over despite the pain in his skull.
Allen sighed again. "If I tell you what happened last night, will you—?" Lavi looked straight into his face and saw the turmoil. He could already guess what the younger man was going to say. Allen was worried that Lavi would freak or just leave him to deal with the stress on his own. He moved closer to Allen and hugged him gently. The host didn't fight his hold this time.
"You don't have to say it if you don't want to," he said. "If you want, you can forget it. Or you can hold it as a grudge against me. But I want to tell you something before you answer: I think you're a really interesting person and I like you. You have a really cool personality. I think you're the hottest thing since that summer when I fell asleep on the beach and woke up with the reddest sunburn ever. I'd really like it if we could try to get together. I won't do anything else that you don't want, I promise. So, will you give me a chance?"
He released Allen and stared at his intense gray eyes, which seemed to waver for a moment like the reflection of the moon in a pond.
Then Allen smiled slightly. "We can try that."
The End.
Kimiko: Yeah. I kinda just left Road and Lenalee in the next room. But whatever. This is a LAVEN story, not a friendship story. And I kinda threw that whole 'wait until Valentine's Day' idea out the window because I wanted to get this [and some of my other fics] out for the people on the other side of the world.
So Happy Valentine's Day, even if you're single!