Author's Note: Okay...this was a random idea I had while I was playing piano. Has anyone heard the OST (I believe that it stands for "original sound track") from D. Gray-Man called "Healing Spirit"? Yes, I was playing that on the piano... So, this came to mind and I decided to...write it. Also inspired by Yume Kira Dream Shoppe which I read...quite a while ago. It is by Aqua Mizuto and, really, is the loveliest little manga in the world—I recommend reading it. Read it on mangafox(dot)com, if you must.
Summary: The Wishing Well—this store sells everything from marbles to hope to dreams. However, the one thing this store just doesn't seem to stock is love. And, it seems, Lavi is just in need of that right now.
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White hair and blue-gray eyes—even those were not the most striking characteristics of the storeowner of the Wishing Well. No, it was his peculiar marking that spans nearly the entirety of the left side of his face—it was in the shape of a star followed by several other lines to form a sort of cross with a line beneath it. This was Allen Walker.
Allen Walker has worked in the Wishing Well for many years—originally working for Mana Walker, his adoptive father, and inheriting it after his father's death. Up until now, the things people have wanted from the shop have been typical, usual things. In fact, this shop has become a sort of convenience store (much to Allen's dismay, might I add). However, this particular day one peculiar red-headed fellow turned up at the store asking for something, Allen was sure, they hadn't. Now, Allen had to be pretty sure—after all, he had worked there for six years, at the very least, and knew the place very well. He was persistent, though.
"Hello," It was the same familiar voice that chimed just as the store was opening. "I'm looking for the usual." the voice added quaintly.
Allen looked to him, sighing exasperatedly. "I'm afraid we do not stock that, sir. If I could interest you in anything else—"
"No, I'm sure you have it."
Allen frowned as he spoke, "Look, sir, we do not have it. Now, if you would please, if I could interest you in anything else."
"Nope," he insisted firmly, still retaining his cheery demeanor, though. "You see, I was told by the original owner that if there was anything that I needed, I could find it here."
"And you need love?" Allen interjected sharply.
The man nodded slowly and sternly. "Precisely," he replied without so much as a thought that Allen might have been sarcastic.
Allen sighed, rubbing his temples in frustration. "I'm afraid that we don't carry it…now if you would please—"
"I know you do."
"We don't!"
The man with the flaming red hair clapped his hands together crisply, grinning a lopsided grin. "Now, now, I know you do!" His voice rang in a sing-song sort of way.
"Sir—"
"You may call me Lavi, you know."
"Lavi, then! Please!" Allen exclaimed loudly, "You've been here, at the very least, twenty times and each and every time, it's the same thing! If there is anything else you need, do come again but, please, we do not have that in stock—or ever!"
"Well," Lavi remarked, disheartened, "isn't that a shame?"
Allen felt like slamming his head into his desk and was beginning to contemplate getting a restraining order for this man. "Please, Lavi, we don't. Why must you insist on coming back?"
"Because, it's the one thing I need."
Allen looked up at him, blue-gray eyes mystified by his baseless determination. "But, you know that we don't have it."
Lavi shook his head distinctly. "No, you do have it—I know you do! I've seen it in this store."
Confused, Allen stared at him a little bit. "But, we don't carry it, Lavi..." his voice trailed off in thought as he spoke those words, "We don't carry...love."
Lavi's eyes—greener than the colour green itself—were raised to Allen again. He smiled goofily, "You see, Allen, I've seen it in here—I've seen love in here. I know you have love here."
"I don't. Just...look for something else, for once. I mean, we have hope, ambitions—oh, look here, there's even—"
"No, no, no!" Lavi's head was shaking vigorously again. "Only love—that's the only thing I need!" He was smiling even as he spoke, his red hair bobbing freely with his head movements.
"Then search elsewhere."
"No,"
Allen was dumbfounded. How could this man—Lavi—continue this relentless search? Where in the world had he gotten the idea that this shop carried love? He had been here for six years and he had never seen that in stock. It was a ridiculous notion. But, somehow, Lavi saying it made it more believable yet..impossible.
"Lavi," Allen murmured, sighing in defeat, "please, do explain to me where you saw love in this store? I would like to know how you know this when I don't even."
Lavi pointed at Allen. Allen looked at his finger, not able to comprehend the gesture.
"What do you mean?"
"What am I pointing at?"
Allen looked at his chest—where Lavi's finger was directed. Grimacing deeply, he answered, "You are pointing at my ribcage—no, my sternum. What are you insinuating, Lavi?"
Lavi looked to him with large, shimmering eyes—the eyes of a hopeful person. Allen knew that look. It had so often been crushed—and, for each one of those moments of hope being crushed, most had been Allen's.
"How do you treat the children when they come here?" Lavi asked him quietly, "Tell me, what is there?"
"Kindness?" Allen offered, perplexed. "I would like you to explain, Lavi. You are only asking questions, right now."
"What is the base of kindness?"
At this point, Allen slammed his hands against the wooden countertop. "Lavi! Just stop beating around the bush!"
"You carry love."
"We do not—" Allen stopped mid-sentence, finally understanding what Lavi had been saying the entire time. "I...carry love?"
Lavi's grin seemed to widen just a little bit more—was that even humanly possible? His happiness was evident. "You understand, now?"
"And..." Allen was beginning to understand—if only just a little bit—what Lavi meant. And, in light of that, he was drawing conclusions. "You want that love...? From me?"
"Yes,"
And, that made it final—that made Allen understand. Perhaps, this would become something special, then?
Perhaps, Lavi would get the love he so wanted?
This was the Wishing Well, after all—a shop where wishes came true.
The End
Author's Comments: How was that? I had fun writing this...I thought that I should post something...I don't know, less gloomy...? Yeah, that's the word. I need something less depressing in my collection. So...uh...this is it. I enjoyed writing this—ridiculously so, even. So...I hope that wasn't too bad. It was...a five-minute drabble...thing. Thank you again. This is a one-shot so The End really is, the end.
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