A urban fantasy au made between my friends and I. Blood curses, Lenalee's roommate is Link, a poor regular human with no powers. Kind of.
Pour out the stars, tell me a tale
The winter chill was bitter and cruel, snaking under clothes and reaching until your very bones, settling in so that you forgot what being warm had been like. It was cold enough to shock, teeth chattering, nose ears and cheeks nipped red. It was the kind of night where no one stayed out, tucked indoors under throws and before fireplaces, watching silly late night reruns.
In the abandoned park, Allen exhaled gustily, watching the blooming clouds until they faded, and again as he breathed out. Once, when he'd first been learning and winter had come, Allen had turned his fogged breaths to ice, shallow incomplete arches of crystals. When he showed one to Cross, he'd exhaled gusty nicotine smoke and melted them. Said do it again until it could withstand even fire. That's how most of Allen's lessons had developed, idle curiosity sharpened into skill and hardened into knowledge and understanding.
More than a magician, Cross had been an alchemist, and so Allen understood how turning one's breath into ice, crystal, steel and diamonds could work — a bit of science, a bit of magic, a complicated mix where one misstep shattered his bones with the backlash. Cross would mend them and say, do it again.
"Rotten bastard," Allen said fondly, as he always did when he remembered the years he spent under Cross' tutelage. Adjusting his humongous scarf until it covered his nose, Allen leaned against the lamppost, it's soft light barely cast onto the ground around him. The park was, of course, entirely empty at this unbearably frigid hour, and the only reason Allen wasn't at risk of hypothermia was the spells he'd cast to keep his limbs warm. As always, Mana's coat kept him perfectly warm, never too hot nor too cold.
He shifted, pushing up the too-big sleeves of his coat to admire his red fingertips. His left was wrapped in the red runes of Mana's curse, but the right was red from simple cold. He blew hotly on them, then folded the sleeves over, crossing his legs at the ankle.
He was waiting for that perfect stroke between this day and the next, the tiniest moment when time shifted forward before midnight. Magic was a ridiculous thing according to Cross, who preferred science and all that it swore. Magic was fickle, subject to emotions, time, weather, current events, and even social perception. If you thought it ought to work one way, it did. Some things held fast and other's loose, and overall it was one pain in the ass.
There were some laws, however, that remained steadfast: sacrifices always had to be made.
The soft crunch of dead leaves jerked him from his sleepy state, and he looked up with hooded eyes to find Lenalee.
He smiled, amused but not surprised. Of course she'd be able to find him. "Good evening," he said, holding his hand out to her. She stepped closer into the small circle of light, illuminating her pink cheeks and nose, bright lilac eyes. They began to dim, settling into it's normal hue as the influence of her power faded. She took his hand and he breathed warmth into her. "What're you doing out so late?"
"Thank you," Lenalee said, twisting until their hands remained clasped, standing beside him. "I came to find you — you promised you wouldn't skip out this time."
Allen winced, realizing that today was the get-together they'd planned. "Er, I lost track of time?"
"You always do," Lenalee said, but not angrily or even with irritation. Just a fond long look. "What're you casting now?"
"A blessing," Allen said, looking up and at the moon, measuring its distance. "They're harder for me, so I have to very exact." Hence the clock tower a careful fifty feet away from him, moon face yellow in the darkness.
Lenalee laughed, following his gaze to the time. "Would you like my help?"
Surprise bloomed across his face as he turned to regard her, brows drawing down. "This is a paid service, It wouldn't be fair to ask you to."
"Oh, don't you worry about that," Lenalee said, waving her free hand. He caught that one too, making sure he distributed his charmed warmth equally. "They won't even notice."
He stared at their joined hands and then offered her a smile. "Then, I'll be looking forward to your help."
Time was ticking closer. Letting go of Lenalee, he withdrew a small pouch from the folds of his coat, standing properly. Unfolding the layered cloth and slowly revealing the charmed earrings lying there, Allen kept a careful eye on the time. With one hand he grabbed the small vial of his blood, refusing the urge to glance at Lenalee warily.
11:59
The exact moment the day turned over, Allen colored the transparent crystals with two drops of his blood. Instead of dripping over the solid sides, the blood was absorbed, turned inwards and crystallized into rubies.
They weren't actually precious stones, but they looked like them. Time continued ceaselessly. It was complete.
He held one earring up to his eye, discerning the complete opposite of a curse. He couldn't see blessings per se, but he knew what curses looked like and could see not just the absence of one but the negative space of it. Complicated business, and most definitely not his specialty.
But it was for a friend. He examined the other and found them both satisfactory. "There," he said, keeping the pride he felt leveled from his voice. "Here."
Lenalee took them tenderly, eyes flashing bright. She cupped them and brought them under her chin in the faux prayer she never meant, lips moving soundlessly. Allen never had figured out if she actually spoke power and he simply couldn't hear it or if they were voiceless words.
Bonds were a vague thing to him, but her simple earnest wishes made it clear enough. A prayer for loving parents and life long friends, for lovers who never did them ill and for relationships that were always rewarding and being rewarded. That all the right people would cross into their life.
It was a powerful wish to be done on a simple whim.
When she finished he encased them neatly into a white satin box, inscribing inside in gold lettering Congratulations.
He weighed it in his palm and smiled at Lenalee. "Well, that takes care of that." He tucked it into his pants' pocket, holding his hand out to Lenalee. "Now you can proudly drag me to your house and say you found me."
Lenalee rolled his eyes but grabbed his hand anyways, and Allen made sure to warm up what the chill had chased. They walked mostly in silence, breaths quiet and opaque.
"You know," she said, voice small not from fear or nerves but from the overwhelming silence of the night. "It was actually really hard to find you."
Allen kept quiet, watching the paved sidewalk disappear under their feet.
"Like, really hard," she said, voice mounting with frustration. "And it's my thing, you know? I can literally see it, but when I look for you it's like walking into a black room, or waking up late at night and seeing only your hand stretched out in front of you. I have no idea where I'm going when I'm following it."
Apprehension opened a pit in Allen's stomach. There were so many dangerous places he went to on a daily basis. That she might follow him unwittingly scared him more than he cared to admit.
"Kanda, Lavi, my brother — they all shine like the sun. Looking for you though is like trying to connect constellations on a cloudy night."
Allen laughed then, morbidly amused by the comparison.
"You'll always find me," Allen promised. He could layer himself with glamours and spells a thousand times over, but Lenalee's bonds were unbreakable. "Don't worry so much — I'm not hiding from you, I'm hiding from the world."
"That doesn't make it much better," Lenalee grumbled halfheartedly, but she squeezed his hand. She leaned closer until she could rest her head on his shoulder, and Allen thoughtfully slowed down. "Sometimes, when we're altogether and I look at them..."
She trailed off, and Allen wondered if her eyes were shining. "Look at them?" He prompted.
She shook her head minutely and then abruptly straightened. "Come on, we're going to be late! Or, well, you're already late."
"As always," Allen said gamely.
"Time just does not like you," Lenalee teased.
Allen smiled, tugging her forward until they stumbled down cracked pavement stones laughing.
Lenalee's home was big and bright and warm, the perfect place for family and friends. Her living room had seemingly every pillow in the house clustered there, and Lavi peeked out from underneath a pillow fortress.
Kanda, reclining on a long sofa, glanced at them with one eye. "If you don't pick a movie in five minutes I'm going to sleep."
"Good evening to you, too, Kanda," Allen said, rolling his eyes. He picked his way around the mass of pillows and squatted before Lavi, who was on his stomach on the ground. "What on earth are you doing?"
"I got bored," Lavi said solemnly, bright green eye looking Allen all over, discerning if magic had been used. "What did Lenalee do?"
"Helped me with a blessing," Allen said, standing straight and unwinding his scarf. His coat shifted into a light cardigan, layered over his clothes and reaching almost to his knees. He'd toed his shoes off at the entrance and stalked on socked feet to the end of the couch closest to Lavi, shifting Kanda's feet until they rested on his thighs. Kanda grunted at the movement but, satisfied that Allen wasn't rearranging him entirely, relented, leaning back against the arm.
Lavi hummed, cupping his chin with his hands on propped elbows. "How far were you that it took Lenalee almost an hour to track you down?"
"At Aldona Park," Allen said easily, sighing into the cushions and playing with the hem of Kanda's pants.
"You forgot didn't you," Kanda accused, and Allen looked up to find him glaring, arms crossed.
Lenalee chose the perfect moment to walk in baring two cups of hot chocolate. She handed one to Allen and patted at Kanda's legs. He lifted them, let her sit, and then stretched them out across both their laps.
"Hey!" Lavi eyed them jealously. "Why do you two get hot chocolate and we don't?"
"I don't want any," Kanda snapped.
"You're free to make your own," Lenalee said.
"I've been in the cold for five hours," Allen added, sipping carefully. He brightened. "There's marshmallows!"
"Y'all don't love me," Lavi grumbled.
"Shut up," Kanda said, and then, "Did you pick a movie?"
"Harry Potter series!"
"Fuck you beansprout, we saw them a month ago!"
"It's never too soon to watch them again."
"I'd rather die," Kanda said.
"Then die," Allen said, slurping his hot chocolate.
"Eh," Lavi said, "I'm with Kanda. That's too soon."
"Then you pick another movie," Allen grumbled.
"Oh my God," Lenalee leaned over Kanda to set her cup down on the coffee table and snagged the remote there. "I'm just putting on whatever and — hey! Kanda! Don't fall asleep!"
The television was muted, casting a soft blue light over all their sleeping forms. At some point they'd switch spots to accommodate Lavi, who wanted to cuddle with them. Kanda, hair untied, had thrown his legs over the arm of the chair to rest his head in Lenalee's lap, and Lenalee was leaning against Allen. Lavi had taken over Allen's lap likewise, but his legs splayed ungainly on the floor in a position that was sure to kill his lower back later.
Allen, like always, was the last to fall asleep.
He felt the teasing tug of it now, how it danced over his eyes and settled on his skin, made him slow and heavy, but he fought it. There was no magic or science or prayers that could make a moment last forever, but in instances like this, Allen wished there was. He kissed Lenalee's forehead affectionately and ran his hand through Lavi's hair, content and all at once overwhelmed.
He'd never really had this. A family. That's what Lenalee had been going on about earlier, wasn't it? Their bonds that she could see.
Allen couldn't see them, but he could feel them.
When they found out —because they always did, everyone did, nothing stayed secret forever— Allen was sure they'd be angry, but it didn't deter him. He'd pass it off later as too little sleep. He could spare a little.
Blood magic was dangerous and fickle, but he was intimate with its nature. He moved carefully so he didn't wake them, shifting to tug at his collar. He'd long since changed Mana's cloak into a handkerchief stuffed into his pocket, knowing if any of them touched it while he was asleep that they might be inflicted with visions. He pulled it out now, and with the nail on his cursed hand drew a sigil over his heart.
Peace, happiness, longevity, hope, blessings, love. He exchanged his future and his blood for another curse over his heart. They wouldn't know, and if he carefully hid it from Lavi then he wouldn't notice.
Perhaps it was foolish, but Allen was heavy with sleep and affection and fear that one day this family would be torn from his childish weak grasp.
He wiped his finger on the handkerchief and watched as it absorbed the blood greedily. The folded fabric was soft on his palm, and as he looked it shimmered, not brightly or opalescent or even like the stars, but instead into another reality, folding and bending and changing until Allen saw what could be.
Them, sitting around a table, eating food they'd cooked together; Lavi, tracing the curses marring Allen's body; Kanda, tying a rose madder braid around his damned wrist; Lenalee, bright eyes watching bonds only she could see, sitting close beside him.
He fell asleep to dreams of a future that Allen paid in blood to secure.
"I can't believe all of you."
Allen woke with a start, foggy minded, and he slowly tilted his head back. He gave a lopsided smile to the image of Link's upside down face, blinking to focus on him through the fog of sleep.
"Good morning, Link."
"More like good afternoon," Link said, giving him a long look before moving around the sofa to carefully decipher their tangled limbs. "How do you even sleep like that?"
"Mngh," Lenalee grumbled, by nature a grumpy waker. She burrowed further into Allen's side, ruthlessly dumping Kanda off her lap. Unfortunately, he landed on his knees, scowling and grabbing Allen's ankles when he laughed at him. Kanda pulled hard enough to yank Allen right off the couch, completely tossing Lavi off and into the coffee table. Lavi groaned, pushing Allen off of him.
"Oh, for shit's sake," Lavi grumbled, sitting upright to glare at them. He rubbed at his eye and adjusted his eye-patch carefully. "Are we ever going to wake up normally?" Kanda snorted and tied his hair up properly.
"No," Lenalee mumbled. Then, she stretched, yawned, sighed, and regarded Link sleepily. "What time is it?"
"Approximately," Link said, pulling his sleeve back to look at his watch. "Noon."
"Noon," Lenalee said, "noon, noon, you mean it's already twelve?"
Like someone lit a match under her heels Lenalee sprang up and over the couch, landing with a thud and running through her home. Allen watched her go, utterly lost.
"Her store is supposed to open in an hour," Link said. "And with that being said, I'm going to sleep."
He followed after Lenalee into the house, heading upstairs to his room. Link had worked a night shift tending to patients with Atuuda. While he no longer sacrificed his own soul and future to heal others, using sacrifices as it were — ox heart, bird bones, spider silk — it still sucked his energy dry to manifest and control the spirit.
Allen sat slowly on the couch and folded his arms along the top of it, watching him go, too. Still sleep-addled, he felt inexplicably confused.
"Hey," Kanda said, snapping his fingers three times in front of Allen's face. There was a long moment between it and Allen's reaction. He pulled back wearily and blinked up at Kanda. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"
"What?" Lavi asked, moving over to inspect Allen's face. Kanda pinched Allen's nose sharply and let go, and it took Allen five seconds to blink in shock. "Oh, wow, buddy is everything okay?"
"Something's wrong," Kanda said, squinting at him. "Did you use magic again?"
"Again?" Lavi asked, frowning. "How could he? We were all asleep together."
"Well look at him! He looks stupid as fuck!"
"Yuu," Lavi said, admonishing. "It might be a hex."
"Are you kidding?" Kanda asked. "Komui has so many damn barriers on this place a nuclear bomb could strike and it'd still stay standing."
"It might have been cast on him before he got here and was slow to work. I'm going to get Link," Lavi said, "He can at least tell us if something's wrong with him physically."
"Shut up, asshole," Allen finally managed, in response to Kanda's insult. He blearily held his forehead, blinking stars from his eyes. "'M fine."
"No you're not," Kanda said, sitting down beside Allen. He grabbed him by the chin and forced Allen to look at him, but the slow track of his eyes clearly disturbed Kanda. "Wait here, I'm going to brew some tea."
Time passed indiscriminately, and suddenly Link and Lavi were before him. Link took Kanda's seat and carefully tilted his face to study him. He'd already dressed down, tie gone, shoes and socks removed, gloves missing, and hair tied into a pony tail versus its customary braid.
Guilt clambered over Allen's stomach, and he averted his eyes. Link must be so tired. Allen was fine. He was just sleepy.
Atuuda emerged, ghostly and huge, curling around Link before gliding through the air as if on water, twisting around Allen. It nudged under Allen's chin from over his shoulder, down his neck, leaving behind goosebumps, before settling its broad face on Allen's chest.
"He's anemic, at the very least," Link declared. Link's cool fingers ghosted over his chin, his neck, pressing over his sternum with a doctor's impartiality. "There's some sort of magic backlash too, but I can't discern it further without my tools."
Atuuda slithered away from Allen and settled on Link's head sleepily, undisturbed when Link looked up at Lavi. "Keep him upright and his eyes open while I go get them."
"Right," Lavi said, switching places with Link. "Okay buddy, you've clearly done something wrong."
Lavi waited patiently as Allen formed the words. "Did nothing wrong."
"He's always doing something wrong," Kanda said, coming back with a cup of tea. He held it out long enough for Allen to grab it, bringing it slowly to his lips and grimacing at the taste. "Don't complain dumbass, just drink it."
Three careful sips later and, "Shove off."
"Drink."
Lavi rubbed a warm hand over Allen's back and Kanda cursed when Allen closed his eyes and nearly dropped his drink. Link came back then, sitting on Allen's other side while Kanda settled on the coffee table.
"Let's see," Link said, opening his briefcase. He grabbed a jar of salve and slathered it over his hands, setting it aside. "Lavi could you unbutton his shirt some? I need to see his chest."
Too worried to really make any comments, Lavi undid the top few. By the time Link examined his sternum Allen had begun to protest, pushing back against the sofa. He felt for some indistinct reason that Lavi wasn't supposed to see anything.
Link sat back with a sigh, hands carefully held up to touch nothing else. "Yes, well, he certainly did use magic last night, and it bit him back quite badly. He's anemic, sick with a cold, and the spell robbed him of his reasoning and awareness. Good news is that it's temporary, and nothing good food and sleep won't fix." Link fixed Allen with a hard look. "But you won't tell us what you did, will you?"
Allen gave a smile and shook his head.
"Of course," Link muttered. "I need to go wash my hands."
With that Link left and Lavi carefully buttoned Allen's shirt back up. Finally, Allen sagged against the cushions, eyes closing.
"Hey," Kanda said, voice edging on anger. "Just because two spots let it go doesn't mean I will. What the fuck did you do?"
"Wait to grill him later," Lavi said. "Not like he can really answer now anyways."
"Everything about him is a god damned inconvenience."
"Go tell Lenalee."
"Yeah, you would send me," Kanda sneered, but left anyways, turning sharply on his heel and storming through the house.
Alone, Lavi coaxed Allen to drink more of the tea. Given that Kanda brewed it, it was sure to contain not only white magic but sincere good wishes, all things Allen severely needed. Blessedly, Lavi didn't talk much, just encouragements to continue drinking until the cup was emptied.
Quietly, Lavi asked, "Allen, what was that curse?"
Allen blinked sleepily at him.
"You know I can read them. Why did you do that?" Worry and anger warred within Lavi to show in his voice, and his hands trembled where they lay on Allen's shoulder and arm, supposedly steadying him. Hidden beneath it all was a lonely sentiment: why did you include me?
Allen simply smiled.
"Christ, you're really done in for," Lavi muttered, letting Allen rest on his shoulder. He rubbed Allen's other arm, staring off at nothing. "Yuu is right. You're an idiot."
The effects were temporary anyways. "It's okay," Allen mumbled, yawning and closing his eyes. "It's okay."
It really was.
A/N: A quick oneshot for this idea, not really intending to make it a long story. Some basic foundations:
Link has no powers but he has very high magical aptitude, which means he can use magical items very well and he can boost and amplify others' magical abilities.
Lenalee can see bonds between people and manipulate or track them. Kanda is apt at white magic and only practices it - he hates black magic. Lavi uses sigils and runes to create words with power - any kind of power. He can write them on anything, people, walls, objects, the very air.
Allen received his magical fabric from Mana. Allen's innate ability is to receive and manipulate curses, though under Cross' tutelage he learned basic magic and alchemy across most subjects. A jack of all trades.