Well, it certainly is late to be putting this up. But seeing as it was already 3/4 of the way finished once Thanksgiving was over yesterday, I figured I might as well just post it anyway since I worked so hard on it. Well, even though it is late, here is a little Thanksgiving gift for everyone (whether you celebrate or not!)
~ Sabet
Disclaimer: I do not own -man
This is an AU!
Enjoy~!
"Everyone?" Disbelief and surprise gleamed brightly in monochrome eyes as the young boy repeated his friend's words. "Are you sure you heard right, Lavi? It's hard to believe that everyone will be able to fit into Bookman's little dining room." Allen said, remembering the cramped space with a small, round table in the middle that Lavi's grandfather, who preferred to just simply be called by his last name, called his dining room.
The red head that walked beside him nodded eagerly, a wide and enthusiastic grin plastered onto his face as he practically skipped down the school hallway beside him. "Yep, Gramps said everyone." He replied, drawing out the last word a bit. "Oh!" He said quickly. "But we won't be doing it at the old man's place."
Allen raised a brow and gave him a quizzical look. Before he could even ask though, Lavi was already explaining. "Yeah, yeah, I know this year we were supposed to be hostin' Thanksgiving and all. But when Neah told Komui that the Noahs wanted to join us this year, along with Bak and some others, Komui told him he'd take it upon himself this year to be the host."
"Oh." Allen simply commented and nodded, looking ahead of him. This was the first year that everyone would be coming together for Thanksgiving then. Of course they had Thanksgiving with his friends' families before. In fact, each family had been taking turns being the hosting family for Thanksgiving for the last ten years. It had all started a year after Allen had moved with his adoptive father, Mana, and his brother Neah to America.
Being from England, Allen hadn't actually known what Thanksgiving was until he came to the states. They probably wouldn't have even celebrated it if Mana hadn't insisted on it. Allen recalled a memory with a smile of when Mana and Neah had both tried to accomplish cooking the turkey, which they had heard was the traditional meat of the meal, and had such a hard time even accomplishing that.
Neither brother had ever cooked a turkey. Even though Neah was a good cook and had experimented with making big things such as this, he still hadn't done very well that year. (He told Allen every time he brought it up that it was because he was having an "off" day, as he liked to put it; Allen, of course, never believed him.) The Turkey was still half frozen when they decided to start cooking it. And what they didn't know until after was that they had to take care of what was left inside the body of the turkey.
Oh, Allen would never, ever forget the look on Mana and Neah's face as the two of them found what was hidden inside of the turkey after it had been cooked.
But to sum it up, that first Thanksgiving had been a failure, but a fun one at that. And Allen would never forget it. He had only been five years old at the time, but was six years old by the time he made his first friend at school.
Her name was Lenalee. She had been, and still was, a sweet girl. She'd been small, kind, but could be a tough little thing when she wanted to be. After they had first met when the girl had moved to the little town, they had become friends in a matter of days. Allen liked her and he thought her older brother Komui, whom she could always be counted on to cling to when he was around, was fun and goofy.
That year when Thanksgiving was just around the corner, the pigtailed-girl had asked Allen rather happily if he, Mana, and Neah would join them at her place for Thanksgiving. After asking Mana and Neah about it, Allen agreed with a smile.
That thanksgiving had been different, but Allen had loved it. He met new people there, made new friends. Even Mana and Neah met some new people.
These people included Lavi, the friend he now walked down the hall with. Lavi was still just as talkative as he had been then. Not that that was surprising. Allen had known from the very beginning that it would be hard for anyone to get that boy to keep his mouth shut. Too bad Kanda didn't realize that. Not now, and not then.
Allen chuckled lightly remembering young little Kanda. He was older than Allen, but he was newly introduced to all things American and was still stumbling over the new language. Often he would get frustrated and stop talking completely, or sometimes he would just spontaneously stop speaking in English and drawl on in Japanese.
None of the children could understand him except a boy of the same age named Alma. He often would translate what Kanda was saying or keep it a secret and whine at the boy for the bad things he, apparently, would say. He was a peculiar little boy and was probably the closest person to the temperamental Japanese boy. Not that Kanda would ever tell anyone that or admit it.
Kanda was probably the one friend that Allen had an odd relationship with, but he was a friend all the same. And every year when Kanda's family was chosen to host Thanksgiving, he never once left the silver haired boy and his family out.
"Oi, Allen, are you even listening to me?" Lavi's voice suddenly intercepted Allen's thoughts. He froze as Lavi stepped in front of him and blinked his eyes as he shook his head.
"Oh, um, no. What were you saying Lavi?" He said and looked at the older boy as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"As I was saying," Lavi began with an exaggerated, dramatic tone, to which Allen rolled his eyes. "Since Komui's had some work done on his house, ya know expanding it, he said he could do Thanksgiving this year and we'll get the next."
"Oh, okay. Sounds good to me." Allen said as Lavi moved out of the way and the two began to walk down the hall again.
"What sounds good?" Lenalee chimed in from behind them as she caught up with the boys with light, quick steps.
"Yo, Lena!" Lavi greeted her happily with a smile as Allen did the same, only he substituted yo with hey, and Lena with the girl's full name. She smiled at both of them and tipped her head slightly in acknowledgment of their greetings as she said, "Hey, you two. So, what were you talking about?"
"Just the arrangements for Thanksgiving since I just heard about 'em this morning from Gramps." Lavi said as he looked at the girl as she walked between him and Allen.
"Oh, brother just told me this morning too. He seemed happy about it." She said softly as she glanced at Lavi.
"He probably just wants to show of the work he got done on the kitchen." Lavi commented and snickered. Allen joined in on his laughing and even Lenalee giggled as they made it to the front doors of the school. Allen was just about to push open the door when it flung open and someone crashed into him.
Thud!
Allen's back and head hit the floor rather hard and he felt a momentary and dull, throbbing pain in the back of his skull and back. The weight of the person who slammed into him was resting on his stomach, and he grimaced and peeked open an eye just as they spoke to him.
"Oh, Allen!" Alma's familiar voice reached Allen's ears as he opened his eyes partially to stare up at the boy's face. He was smiling almost nervously as he looked at Allen and moved off of him. "Sorry about that, but hey, I was just about to come in and look for you, Lena, and Lavi!" He said happily, excitedly.
"Oh, really?" Allen commented a bit breathlessly as he sat up and lifted a hand to finger a sensitive spot at the back of his head.
"Yeah, didn't take long to find ya." He said and laughed, offering a hand to Allen to help him up. Allen gladly accepted the offer and in seconds he was on his feet again, brushing the front and back of his pants off.
"Well he always does get in the way somehow." Kanda's voice suddenly poked in. Allen and his friends glanced back at the door way, which was still open, where Kanda stood leaning against the door frame.
"Actually, BaKanda," Allen began, using the one word he knew from the older boy's native tongue. "I wasn't really the one in the way this time." Allen gave a sideways glance at Alma. "Sorry, but I really wasn't the one at fault here."
Alma waved him off with a small smile, and Allen turned to shoot an agitated stare Kanda's way. Everyone seemed to be staring at the long-haired man, but that mattered little to Kanda, as per usual. He gave Allen one long, annoyed look.
"Che, if you weren't so slow, Alma wouldn't have even had to come looking for you, Lenalee, and the baka usagi." He stated with a cold look in his sapphire eyes. "So, yes, it is your fault, baka Moyashi."
Allen gave him an incredulous look and his usually warm, silver eyes narrowed.
"It's Allen! A-L-L-E-N! Got it?!" He shouted, his common calm composure shattering, as usual when it came to him and Kanda. Several people within the hallway turned to stare as the boy cracked under the pressure that was, ultimately, Kanda…"Oh wait, I forgot your brain is as slow as the rest of you. No wonder you can never get my name right." Allen muttered. He seemed to be calming down as he waved off Kanda as if he was a small child making a miniscule mistake.
Kanda's eye practically twitched with his anger.
"Baka Moyashi! We'll see how slow I am when I tear those grandpa-locks from their roots!" He growled.
"Like you would even be strong enough to do such a thing!" Allen scoffed. "Plus I thought you never wanted to touch me, ne, Kanda?"
"That's it! Get over here and let's so who's really the fastest!"
"Fine then! But when you lose, don't go crying to Tiedoll!"
"Wh- I've never done that!"
"You're a bloody liar!"
Everyone gave Kanda and Allen a disbelieving look as the teens growled and glared at each other like two cats that had been thrown into a river (And they all certainly knew how that looked, courtesy of Lavi of course). Lavi's mouth was gaping, Lenalee's eyes were wide, and Alma was smiling and laughing nervously as everyone in that hallway stared at their little group.
"Right," He said, drawing out the word as he dared to walk over to Kanda in his state. "We better get going then! See you all on Thanksgiving." He said as he began to push on Kanda's back hard enough to push him forward.
"Oi! Baka, stop pushing me!" Kanda snarled, to which Alma just laughed as he directed the boy out of the doors they had just come in moments before. Kanda's heavy leather boots could be heard skidding on the floor.
As Kanda's insults and shouts became distant and disoriented, Lavi and Lenalee looked to Allen. And they were completely baffled. The boy had done a total 180! He was smiling and brushing his pants off again, almost as if nothing at all had ever happened.
"So, would you guys like to come over for a bit today?" He asked calmly and happily, surprising them even further.
"Uhh… Allen." Lenalee uttered softly and slowly.
"Wha-"
"What the hell is up with that?!"
"Lavi?!"
"I'm home!" Allen called happily as he stepped onto the mat in front of the doorway. He bumped the door with his backside, effectively closing it, before he began to wipe the soles of his shoes off on the mat.
"Welcome home, nephew." Neah said, poking his head out from the kitchen doorway right down the hall. A light smile adorned his face as he looked at his nephew who stood looking at all the snow that now speckled the worn out, brown mat beneath him.
"Oh," Allen breathed, slightly surprised as he glanced down the hall. "Hey Neah, where's Mana?" He asked as he stepped off of the mat and began to saunter down to where his uncle stood.
Neah jerked his chin to the left, gesturing down the white hall. "Down in the living room." He said, his smile growing a bit. "He's trying to train Timcanpy to do an act with Al again." He murmured and chuckled.
Allen rubbed the back of his head with his right hand and smiled, laughing softly. "Tim will never go along with that." He said, an image of the little yellow kitten acting defiantly popping up into the back of his mind.
"Tell him that." Neah replied with another chuckle before he sighed. "He knows Al is getting old, so I guess he is trying to get Timcanpy to replace him once he is gone."
"I guess so." Allen exhaled, closing his eyes with his drawn out sigh. He knew Mana adored the beagle they had even before coming to America, but his time was limited, according to what the veterinarian said at their last visit. He wasn't the closest to the dog, but he couldn't help but feel bad.
His hand was horribly scarred, so grotesque that no couple or single person ever wanted him when he was a child. Any other kid he saw during his youth was either afraid or disgusted of him because of it. But that dog, only a pup at the time, had once came running up to Allen to lick his hand. His thoughts of the dog had instantly become sweet at the time, and as the years passed, they never soured. He would be sad when the dog passed away, but he knew Mana would take it the worst. It was his dog after all. He raised it by bottle since it was just practically a newborn, or so Neah had told him.
Neah noticed instantly the sadness the subject brought upon his nephew, so in seconds he was changing the subject. "So, did you hear the news about this Thanksgiving?" He asked as he wrapped an arm around his nephew's shoulders.
"Yes, Lavi told me about everything at the end of the school day and as we walked home together." He said, recalling tidbits of their conversation from earlier. He glanced up at Neah as they began to walk down the hall, their shoes making soft, dull tapping sounds with each step. "Are the Noahs really coming too?" He asked.
With a sigh, Neah nodded. "Mhm. Well... Most of them are coming." He said and scratched his cheek.
"Let me guess," Allen began. "Adam, Tyki, and Road will be there?"
"Right you are. But who would have doubted Road would be coming?" He snickered and looked at his little nephew. "She absolutely adores you."
Allen couldn't help but grimace. "I know, I know. How could I not?" He exclaimed. "She hangs all over me every time." He grumbled and pouted like a puppy who hadn't received a treat.
Neah laughed and ruffled Allen's hair. "Welcome to the world of women, little nephew." He said.
"Sounds like something Cross would say." Allen muttered, speaking of the family friend. Neah acted as if he hadn't heard him, but Allen knew he did.
"But not only will those three be there. Skinn, Jasdero, Devit, Lulubell, and Sheryl will be there as well."
Allen's eyes widened noticeably. "Really?" Neah nodded and he expelled a long sigh.
"I never thought even that many of them would come. They never seemed very fond of the Lees and the others." Allen uttered.
"They aren't, but we all wanted to make this Thanksgiving special." Neah said and sighed softly. He was the one closest to the Noahs. Actually, they were more like family to him.
After Mana and Neah's parents had died in a terrible fire that had engulfed their whole house, claiming the lives of their parents and other various family members, the Noahs took in him and Mana. They helped them until they were older, and then set the two off on their own like two birds leaving the nest. They were good people, but for some reason their family conflicted with some of the friends Allen had made when they moved. Never before had there been a Thanksgiving where the Noahs had joined them, because of that very reason, and now seemed to have changed their minds. At least some of them had. Allen was puzzled on the reason why, but nonetheless happy.
"Well I am glad they are." Allen said softly right as they turned to walk into the living room where Mana was. The older of the two males was found sitting on his knees on the floor. A ball was currently in his hand, held playfully above the head of a little yellow kitten who looked absolutely bored with the whole situation. His tail swished back and forth behind him, hitting the white nose of a plump, old beagle that lay behind him watching the scene curiously but quietly.
"Come on now Tim, meow and stand up on those little hind legs of yours." Mana urged. "I know you can do it."
The golden kitten actually yawned at the situation and turned away from Mana. His back was to Mana when he glanced across the room, catching sight of Neah and Allen. He gave a little mew and with a flick of his tail, he pranced over to the two boys.
"Timcanpy." Allen murmured affectionately as the kitten weaved his way between Allen and Neah's legs, lovingly rubbing up against their ankles.
He bent down and picked the kitten up, much to the kitten's happiness. He purred and mewed softly, rubbing his fluffy face against Allen's cheeks. "Heh seems Tim loves you even more than me." Neah said as he reached over and pet the cat that was really his on the head. "No matter, he's practically yours anyway."
"Well in that case, try teaching him a thing or two for me Allen." Mana said from the floor, grinning. Allen looked over at his adoptive father and smiled. "I can try Mana, but Tim isn't much for tricks so I doubt I'll even be able to make him do anything. He does whatever he wants."
As if to prove the point, Tim wiggled his way out of Allen's arms, dropped to the floor, and trotted off like he owned the whole house. (Which if anyone ran that house, it was certainly Tim.) Allen gave a sigh, Neah looked he was trying not to laugh, and Mana looked disappointed.
"Ah, I guess I'll never teach him the things I taught you Al." Mana said and turned to pat the old dog on the head.
"Well I wouldn't give up hope just yet." Neah said and laughed softly as he went to sit beside his older brother. "It will be difficult, but it's not impossible."
"Neah's right." Allen added, making both males look at him. "I'll go and try to teach Tim right now!" Allen declared, thrusting his fist into the air with a look of determination on his face. And with a smile aimed at his father and uncle, Allen turned on his heels and dashed out of the room and down the hall, snatching up Tim as he went.
Timcanpy mewed and yowled as Allen tried to keep his hold on the wiggling kitten. He laughed as his companion nibbled on his fingers as he made his way up the steps and to his room. There, he dropped the little kitten gently onto the dark cherry wood floors before closing the door.
"There you go, Tim, now be good." He said as he walked over to his bed. As he plopped down onto the soft blue comforter he glanced over at the white piano in the corner of his room, watching as Tim jumped onto the top of it and looked at him almost expectantly.
"Not right now Tim." He replied to the silent question. "Maybe later."
"Mroooow."
Allen sighed at the sound of the kitten's meow. "Not right now." He stated again. "I have homework to do." The kitten seemed disappointed, and Tim even sat on top of the beautiful white piano mewing for a minute or so. But eventually he gave in and jumped from the piano to Allen's bed. He rubbed up against the boy's side, making small little sounds that could be the cat's equivalent of a complaint.
"I'll play later." Allen murmured, rolling onto his back and snatching up the kitten. He laid Timcanpy on his chest and sighed, glancing down and staring into the kittens soft golden eyes as he ran his fingers through the short strands of yellow fur. "You know Tim, I think I like Thanksgiving the most."
The kitten gave him a quizzical look, to which Allen sighed and began to explain. "I mean, it brings everyone together. All of my friends and family..." He sighed and rolled over again, this time onto his side, and cuddled the kitten. "Plus all the food." He smiled, his mouth practically watering at the thought of all the food. "I get to indulge myself more than any other day in the year."
Sighing, Allen closed his eyes and let out a yawn and rubbed his cheek against Tim's forehead subconsciously. "I really love Thanksgiving." He said his voice thick with fatigue. In seconds the young boy began to fall asleep, dreaming about all of his friends and his beloved family.
He didn't remember much about his time before Mana adopted him, but he could recall the things he felt. Fright, loneliness, helplessness, dejection... Every feeling and moment had been painful, and now that he had a family and life, with friends and pets, he knew true happiness.
What more could he want?
"Welcome Allen! You too, Neah, Mana." Lenalee greeted them with a smile at the door of her large home. Various smells greeted them also from the door, some of spices, some of herbs, and some that smelled rather sweet and inviting. As Allen let his attention slip from the scents seeping out of the house, he directed his attention to the girl and blushed.
"Oh, Lenalee..." Neah said from behind Allen, sounding hesitant. "Did your brother see you in that yet?" He inquired.
Lenalee gave a smile, her cherry colored lips pulling back gracefully over perfectly white teeth. "Nope, not yet." She said.
"I see... Well that explains a lot." Neah mumbled.
Allen nudged Neah in the stomach with his elbow roughly. He flushed again, taking another look at Lenalee's outfit. Really, there wasn't anything wrong with it. It was just a simple dress: scarlet in color and with dozens of frills; it almost made Allen think of something Road would wear.
But the one thing that surprised them was how small it was. The hem of the dress came to the middle of Lenalee's thighs, and at the top there was a decent amount of cleavage exposed. Not enough to be considered horrible for her age, but more than enough to send her older brother, who was now the clingy one, into a conniption fit.
Mana smiled at Lenalee as she turned to stand with her back against the door, allowing the three of them to come in with the bit of food they brought to contribute.
"My, Lenalee," Mana started to say. "Now don't you look beaut-."
"LENALEE!"
Everyone knew Komui had seen his dear sister's outfit now. Neah rolled his eyes, to which Mana patted his shoulder as a reminder to be polite, as Komui came dashing down the hall.
"My darling sister! How could you wear such a thing?" He practically sobbed as he encircled her with his arms, his fresh, clean dress shirt crinkling as he hugged her tightly around the waist. "These octopuses will-"
"Knock it off, brother." Lenalee said sternly, firmly smacking her brother on the back of his head, knocking off his finest white beret. "Mana and Neah are grown, responsible men. They aren't going to do anything."
"B-but how could they not want-"
"Oi, Komui, I think I would know better than to go after your sister if I wanted to be in a relationship." Neah said. "I think I'd like to live, you know."
"See, he knows better." Lenalee said with a smile. "And you know Mana does as well if Neah does."
Komui sent a pitiful glance Mana's way. When the man nodded, sending a smile his way full of mirth, Komui just burst into tears (hypothetically, of course). "Okay, okay, maybe Mana and Neah know better." He sobbed. "But what about Allen!"
"Eh?!" Allen's eyes widened as he looked at Komui, then Lenalee, and then back to Komui again. "I would never touch her!" He exclaimed. "I-I mean... No offense, Lenalee, you really are a pretty girl." He said and rubbed the back of his head and blushed. Neah was chuckling behind him, much to his annoyance.
"Ah-hah! See, Allen is an octopus, he will defile you!" Komui shrieked.
"Enough, Komui!"
Suddenly Komui was being dragged away from his sister and dropped to the floor. Everyone looked right behind the eldest Lee sibling and found a blond, Australian man looking at him with stern eyes. Stubble covered his chin and dark shadows lingered under his eyes, but after scolding Komui he turned with a smile that brightened his dreary features to look at Allen, Neah, Mana, and Lenalee.
"Sorry about that. I should have come out here as soon as I saw him dashing down the hall." He said, giving a laugh.
"Don't worry about it, Reever." Neah said and smiled back at the man.
"You joined their side." Komui grumbled from the floor, his eyes practically bringing his so-called-despair to life. "How could you?"
If you're asking me why I'm helping them from being pestered with your senseless questions," Reever said, turning to shoot an annoyed glance at the other man, "It's because it's the right thing to do. Especially on a holiday."
"Right you are, Reever!" An excited voice called out from behind all of them, drifting up into the house on the imaginary tale-coat of a strong gale that went rushing towards them, slithering between their bodies and clothes and making them shiver at the sudden temperature difference. With the strong gale came a pitter-patter of feet clad in heavy, leather winter boots. Turning, the Lee's and their guest were welcomed to the arrival of the red headed Lavi and his grandfather.
They too were dressed up for the winter holiday; Bookman's usual, wild hairdo was slicked back just enough that it appeared neat and controlled, and his attire consisted of an oriental-style long sleeved shirt and pants, both a mixture of gray, black, and white.
While Bookman's outfit could easily be considered bland with its low tune in colors, Lavi certainly couldn't, for he was wearing almost the exact opposite. While Bookman's clothing echoed a modern version of the style of times passed, Lavi's outfit was completely modern, maybe even the fashion for a future generation the world had not yet acquainted.
His slacks looked light but were quite warm, and the fashionable pair of pants fit his hips in an appealing manner. The gray was a light, brandish steel color, contrasting pleasantly with the baby blue turtle neck sweater he wore, the arms cut off (and judging by the rickety patter at the edge, it seemed like Lavi had cut off the sleeves himself). Topped off with an odd, fluffy looking collar and his usual bandanna, Lavi's outfit made him seem both older and more childish. Allen wasn't sure how such opposite qualities could be mashed together for the red head's own personal look, but somehow it managed to happen.
Wordlessly, Bookman followed Lavi up to the porch of the Lee's grand home, his hands folded into the opposite sleeves. Lavi was grinning almost madly as he squeezed his way between Mana and Neah, setting down his arm on Allen's shoulder.
"Neh, Allen-chan," Lavi began, smiling wildly at his friend when he turned his head, making it so Lavi wasn't staring at the back of his hooded head any longer.
"Chan?" Neah mused quietly looking amused beside his nephew. Lavi and Allen promptly ignored the younger of the two Walker's.
"What Lavi?" Allen practically growled, grabbing the bottom of his hood at both sides with his one free hand, closing it around his neck almost in a protective manner.
"What's up with the hood, Moyashi?" He said, tugging slightly at the back of it.
"Oi, knock it off Lavi." Allen said and swatted at his hand, to which the red head just laughed. "I didn't want to get covered in snow. And can't you and that Ponytail remember my bloody name?" He said heatedly, his irritation making his British accent come out.
"Well you're inside now," Mana said softly, patting the boy on his hooded head. Allen's silver eyes darted behind him, catching on Mana's chocolate brown gaze. "Go ahead and take it off now." He said, smiling brightly at the young boy he had taken in years ago. "In fact, we should all get inside. We're letting in the cold air, and the warm air Mr. Lee pays for, out." He said politely.
No one could say no to the gentle, polite man who smiled at them so warmly. Each of them began to file inside, some carrying things they brought, while others (mostly those from the Lee residence) simply helped those who had brought things along. Neah, Mana, and Allen each carried something: Mana holding two small, covered dishes as well as Neah, while Allen carried one large, foil constructed container. Lavi's hands were full the moment he stopped teasing Allen, and he walked beside Bookman, who as an elder, had an excuse to walk around without carrying anything at all. Not that Lavi agreed to that.
"You should be helpin' out, Gramps." Lavi complained as the group trekked to the kitchen one after another, the front door having been closed already and the warm air making them all comfortable.
"I am an elder. Carrying small things like this is something left to the youngsters like you, you moronic child." Bookman said in his usual, gruff voice as he eyed Lavi with a strict glint in his usually weary, old eyes.
"Eh, well you would think an old bag like you would need some heavy lifting." Lavi muttered with a roll of his eyes. "I mean, look at those flabby ar- Gaah!" Lavi's sentence broke off and everyone stared back at the two relatives, some of them jumping (Allen, Neah, and Lenalee) when Bookman promptly used his (handy-dandy) cane to smack Lavi upside the head.
"Quiet, imbecile!" Bookman exclaimed as he waved his cane in the air, giving the perfect image of an old, crazy man.
"Fine, fine, fine!" Lavi said quickly, speeding forward and away from the elder male, narrowly avoiding another smack to the head from Bookman's cane. He desperately wanted to avoid gaining another lump on his head. With a sigh, he squeezed himself in between a smiling Allen and a giggling Lenalee.
"You know, you should really be nicer to him, Lavi." Lenalee advised, her lavender eyes twinkling with glee.
"right," Lavi drawled. "Because he would sure be a lot nicer." He said sarcastically. "I swear! That old man just likes to smack me around!"
"Well it wouldn't surprise me with your big mouth Lavi." Allen added with a small laugh.
"Whoa, Moyashi, since when did you become so stingy?" Lavi asked the younger boy. Mocking amazement in his tone and features.
"ALLLLLEEEEEN! A-L-L-E-N! Get it right, baka Lavi!"
"Right, right!" Lavi shouted happily, promptly smiling as he laughed his butt off.
"Allen! Lavi!" An excited yell of their names had both of their heads twisting around, their eyes searching the lavishly decorated kitchen they had all just entered a moment or so ago. When they found the owner of the voice, a friend of Komui's and his colleague Reever's, Johnny, they both smiled. Behind Johnny at the island centered in the middle of the kitchen was his close friend Tapp, who smiled at both of them as they shot grins Johnny's way; Tapp was a quiet man, but Allen and Lavi sure didn't mind.
"Hey Johnny!" Lavi greeted as Allen called out, "Johnny!"
"Happy Thanksgiving, you two." Johnny said as he walked up to them, flushed slightly from the excitement of seeing two people he considered his close friends.
"Happy Thanksgiving to you too, Johnny." Allen said politely, smiling beside Lavi as the red head returned the saying.
"It's good to see you both came over." The young adult commented, reaching up to adjust his round, thick-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose with shaky hands.
"Right back at ya, Johnny." Lavi said, grinning.
Smiling wildly, Johnny looked at both of them with happiness shining in his eyes, shielded by his large glasses. Glancing to his left, the young scientist suddenly noticed everyone was placing the dishes they brought down. "Oh!" He exclaimed. "Why don't Tapp and I help you out with those dishes?" Johnny said with a smile.
"Sure!" Lavi said without delay while Allen, on the other hand, hesitated. "Um, no. I can handle it-"
Ding-Dong
All heads turned to the kitchen doorway when the sound of the doorbell rang out. Seeing everyone else had their hands full, Allen turned and started trotting down the hall before anyone even had the chance to stop him, even though his own hands were still full. "I got it!" He called as he made it closer to the door.
As Allen made it to the door and stopped, he shifted the weight of the container to his right arm due to his left not being as strong. He grabbed hold of the handle and pulled, revealing a few more groups of friends and families.
"Ah!" Allen said with delight, smiling at the new guest. "Bak, Wong, Fou, Shifu, Rikei, and Lou Fa." Each of the named guests he first called out smiled at the mention of their names. "Welcome you guys." He said to Komui's old colleagues and old neighbors.
The blonde haired man, Bak, smiled at Allen, as did the people around him, including the hot-headed young lady who stood beside him. Fou's orange hair was pulled back into its usual up-do, only two thick, long locks coming down to hug the sides of her lean face that were curled this time. Her locks concealed a smile that was purely devilish.
"Walker, been a long time since I've seen you." She commented with a small Asian accent hinting at her words, smirking as she folded her arms over her small chest.
"It sure has been, Fou." He replied, smiling sheepishly as he extended his left hand behind his head to rub his neck sheepishly as he balanced the contained in his other hand.
"One of these days we'll have to meet up in a park or something and practice some of those fighting skills I taught you." She said with a wink.
"Sure thing Fou." He said happily, just before another young lady stepped in front of him, admittedly from the push of her friends/colleagues.
"Walker!" Lou Fa said happily and a bit loudly, smiling nervously at the boy she secretly (Or, well, it was a secret to Allen; It was pretty obvious to everyone else) harbored feelings for. "H-how are you, A-Allen?"
"Oh, uh, Lou Fa." Allen smiled as she blushed, watching as she fiddled with the end of one of her braids nervously. "You sure look pretty today." He complemented her, finally noticing the blouse and fancy skirt she wore that was paired with a tasteful pair of black boots. "I don't think I've ever seen you dressed like this before." He said, fingering his lower lip as he tried to remember seeing the girl in anything other than her usual pants and blouse.
Oh, how the girl could have died just then in there; Really, she could have dropped dead with that comment and she wouldn't regret a thing… (Well, maybe.) "Th-thank you, Wa-." With a prod to the side from Rikei she changed her referral, "I mean, Allen."
"Oh, sure thing." He said gleefully before Shifu and Rikei politely greeted him; Shifu softly saying, "Happy Thanksgiving," while Rikei settled for jokingly pushing Allen's shoulder as he said the same. Bak and Wong were silent, the blonde only opting to open his mouth and say something once Rikei, Shifu, Fou, and Lou Fa had finished.
"Seems you are doing well." Bak said as he extended his hand. Allen grasped it firmly, nodding as he shook hands with the older male. He had a lot of respect for Bak, even with his strange behavior around Lenalee.
"I'm doing excellent!" Allen claimed with a gleam in his eyes. As he pulled his left hand from Bak's grasp he morphed it to be a thumbs-up, smiling as the little circle of friend's stared at him.
"Oh Allen~!" Road cooed from behind the newly arrived guests Allen had been greeting; Her spikey hair stood out and peeked out from behind the people standing in front of him, and in seconds the younger looking, but older girl was poking Adam's decorative pumpkin-topped umbrella, whom she dubbed Lero, between their legs. "Allen~!" She called again, practically singing the boy's name.
"Hey! Watch it, girly!" Fou mumbled irritably as Road found an opening between her and Lou Fa. Ignoring her, Road pushed her way through the two, making Lou Fa squeak like a mouse, and quickly the girl tossed herself at Allen.
"Road!" Allen cried, stumbling back as she latched herself onto him like a leech. He balanced himself for two steps and then, just as Road pecked his lips delicately, he fell backwards.
"Gaaaah!"
The sound exploded out of more than just Allen's mouth as he fell to the floor, landing with a loud thud on his back. Lou Fa was staring with wide, pitiful eyes, Allen was still trying to clear the stars out of his vision, and someone else behind Bak and his companions was seething.
"Allen Walker! How dare you kiss my dear little Road!" Sheryl cried from behind the group that had formed at the door. And those people parted like the red sea as the man suddenly came stomping up the stairs, looking angrier than a pack of wolves.
"Ehh?" Allen said wearily, lifting his head and rubbing it as he tried to focus his blurry vision on whoever was coming towards him. "Is that another Komui?" He asked with confusion, only being able to go off of what he was hearing to conclude who it was.
"No, boy, that would be Sheryl." Tyki declared from the sidelines, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. "If I was you, I'd start explaining yourself." He said as Allen's vision started to clear. Shaking his head he looked to Tyki, who was now glancing at Road as he took a hit off of the cigarette held tightly between his lips. "Did you really have to kiss the boy?"
"Of course I did, Tyki." Road stated as she crossed her arms, turning her head and tilting it up, mocking the snobbish action with a smile on her face. "I had to torture my little Allen just a teensy bit."
"Your Allen? Since when did Allen become property?" Alma stated, trotting up into the mix of people with a smile on his cherubic face. He pulled with him an irritated Kanda, who was glaring back at their adoptive father Tiedoll. The older man was still back behind the little group, standing on the sidelines like Lulubell, Adam, Skinn, and Jasdero and Devit, or simply the Jasdevi twins, who were as always arguing and pointing what Allen hoped was toy guns at each other's heads.
Each of the Noah's was dressed finely, but that wasn't surprising considering the money their family had under the belt. But it wasn't only them. Even Kanda, Alma, and Tiedoll were dressed up considering their normal attire, as well as Bak and his little group of close companions.
"Allen Walker, explain yourself this instance." Sheryl said heatedly to Allen's left, which Allen promptly swiveled his head in that direction. Boy, the man was leaking anger as if it was a smell. Allen shivered as he stared at the man, feeling dizzy again.
"R-Road's the one kissed me." He stammered his face a deep red. "I was surprised! I wouldn't kiss Road!"
"Hey!"
Allen just ignored Road's little interjection and tiny glare as he sat there; feeling like shriveling up until Sheryl's strict stare was finally off of him. God, it almost seemed like the man was already hurting him with that kind of glare. And if this guy didn't believe him, it wouldn't even be the beginning. Sighing, Allen tried to brace himself for the attack that would surely be coming any minute now.
"Come on; give the boy a break Sheryl." Tyki said, dropping his cigarette to the ground and stepping on it to put it out before he glanced over at his younger brother.
"I agree with Tyki-pon." Adam, who was insisting he be called just simply Earl to Lulubell, said as he climbed up the snow covered white steps and onto the Lee's front porch. He claimed his umbrella/cane from Road, who smiled deviously and giggled.
"For once, I have to agree with... Ehem, the Earl, too." Neah said from behind Allen as he leaned against the door frame. Allen hadn't even noticed him.
Looking back, Allen saw everyone who was already inside of the house had come pouring into the hallway to watch the scene that he was currently the main attraction of. He saw various different expressions from the wave of people he saw: Some were happy and amused, grinning uncontrollably; others looked disappointed or down right upset. Allen wasn't sure which was really good right now, so he just focused his attention back on his adoptive uncle.
"Ah, Neah." The earl said as he smiled, his dimples showing in his weary, age lined face. "How are you, child?" He asked lovingly. Allen understood now why Neah sometimes said the Earl's voice was so sweet at times that it was sickening.
"I bet he's fine, Earl." Lulubell said blankly at his side, brushing back a strand of her long blonde hair that somehow happened to make its way out of the ponytail hanging at the nape of her neck.
"Yeah, Yeah!" Jasdero called from his other side, making his twin pause in their little argument and game with their (hopefully) toy guns pressed against each other's temple. "Just fine, hee hee!"
"Yeah, yeah." Neah said, rolling his eyes. "I've been fine. Now could you stop hounding my nephew Sheryl?" He said, shooting a glance Sheryl's way. "And the rest of you should come inside; Jerry's nearly finished with cooking." He stated without an answer from the older man, speaking of the Lee's personal chef who was busy working away at the grand dinner he was to prepare for Thanksgiving.
"Right, wouldn't want the cold air to get in." Devit said as he nudged his brother's forehead with his gun. "Let's go, Jasdero." He announced before the two of them walked forward, making their way through the little crowd and slipping their guns into their pockets before they even stepped over the threshold of the house.
After that, the rest of them came pouring in one after another; the twins going first with Neah, the Earl, Lulubell, and a silent Skinn following right behind. After shooting daggers at Allen for one more moment, Sheryl followed suit, somehow managing to trust Road to stay with Allen as he went inside.
Soon after that even Fou, Bak, Wong, and the others also went inside, with the exception of Lou Fa and her two closest friends, who still watched Allen with curiosity.
"Um, Allen, do you need any help?" Lou Fa asked as she bent down at his side, her cheeks gaining a slight hue of pink for the, already, countless time that night. Shifu and Rikei were stunned at her boldness; the girl had never approached Allen like this without any prodding.
"Che', have to get help from a girl." Kanda muttered from Allen's far right, keeping the boy from even attempting at answering. Disdain was clear on his flawless face, his nose upturned at Allen's predicament.
"Now Yuu, you promised you'd be nice." Alma chastised Kanda, waving his finger in front of Kanda's long, strong nose.
"I never did such a thing!" The Japanese huffed, looking as if he wanted to break those fingers Alma kept moving back and forth, back and forth in front of his face.
"Shut up Kanda, it's not my fault I'm on the floor like this." The white haired boy mumbled, shocking little Lou Fa. Oh, she had heard about Kanda and Allen's brawls, but she never actually witnessed them, or their beginnings.
"Right, of course not. Nothing is ever your fault, huh, baka Moyashi?" Kanda grumbled.
Allen was just about to shout at the man when two new figures came walking up to the house. They were both lean and tall, but there was an air of awkwardness around them. Their faces were covered as they made it to the stairs, but once their boot clad feet touched the wooden steps; their hoods were pulled back the wind.
"Oh! Miranda! Krory!" Allen heard Lenalee and and Lavi behind him, calling to their older friends as they started to make their way up the stairs.
"Hey you guys!" Alma called, waving at them.
"Alma, why hel- baaah!" How an attempt at waving could result in Miranda landing face down in the snow, nobody watching knew, but here they were staring as the young German woman pulled her head out of the snow trap.
"Oh my." Krory said at her side, a blank look on his face.
Suddenly, Lavi started laughing behind Allen, and soon Lenalee even started to giggle softly. Allen couldn't help it, when Alma laughed and even Kanda released a gruff chuckle, he burst out laughing. Normally the young German woman would go into a fit of desperation at the sound of this, but the sweet holiday had her in a serene mood. As she brushed the snow off of her hair and dress, taking the offered hand Krory held out, she gave a small breathy laugh.
The sound rang out around all of them and they all smiled, even Kanda. Thanksgiving wasn't the biggest and best holiday around, but it sure achieved at bringing them all together, and that's all that mattered to them.
"Come on Miranda, let's join the kids." Krory said with a small teasing smile, and he helped the clumsy lady up the stairs.
"Aw, you're such a gentleman Kuro-chan." Lavi said happily as he knelt down behind Allen and smiled.
"Unlike you, neh, Bookman?" Road said as she leaned back against the house and watched Krory helped Miranda up the rest of the steps.
"Don't call me by my last name!" He complained, flinging out his hands and narrowly avoiding hitting Kanda in the face with them. "I'm not the old man!"
"You're too moronic to be Bookman." Kanda grumbled as Alma's side.
"Oh, you actually have a positive opinion of Bookman, Kanda?" Lenalee said with a light, teasing tone and a smile lighting up her face. Kanda responded with a stern look twisting up his strong Japanese features, turning his head to the side and simply saying, "Che."
"Hey!" Someone called out from behind all of them. They turned to see Neah who was scowling. "I said to get in here, didn't I?" He said just loudly enough for them to make out his words and pick out the agitated tone hinting within each one.
"Yes sir!" Alma replied happily, playfully saluting Neah before grabbing Kanda's hand. Just like before, he started to pull Kanda along with him as if his closest friend was a beloved toy or rag doll. Kanda didn't put up with it, but, amazingly, he couldn't wiggle his way out of Alma's vice-like grip either, so in seconds he was being pulled into the house, grumbling away as he was.
Kanda's other friends stared after him and Alma before they all turned to look at Allen.
"Need any help, Allen?" Lenalee asked softly, offering her small hand as a means of getting Allen back onto his feet.
"Oh, no thank you Lenalee." He said, waving her off slowly and politely. "I can ge- Ehhhhhh?!" In minutes the smaller boy was being hoisted up off of the ground, and then he found himself practically being slung over Lavi's shoulder. "L-Lavi?!" He questioned nervously as he tensed for one moment. But as the older boy began to chuckle and tried walking down the hallway with him, he began to kick his feet and hit Lavi's shoulder and chest. "Put me down, Baka!"
"Nah, I think Lenalee had the right idea." Lavi said as he smoothly grabbed one of Allen's fists. "I think you need some help."
"I could have gotten up myself!" Allen exclaimed before finding an opening, which he promptly took advantage of so he could aim a weak punch at the side of Lavi's head.
"Gaah?! Moyashi, how could you hit me?" Lavi said exaggeratedly, almost mocking the way Komui had acted over his sister earlier.
"It's Allen, baka Lavi!" Allen shouted as he felt his frustration with the red head reaching a new level. He squirmed on Lavi's shoulder, kicking and hitting him at every opportunity. As Allen squirmed about, Lavi's attention became diverted on where he was going. In seconds, he found himself tripping over the container Allen had been carrying before being knocked over by Road.
Their fall caused a great commotion, even going as far as to make Lou Fa flinch as she carefully closed the front door to the house. Miranda, Krory, and the overs within the hallway looked down to see the tangled mass of limbs on the floor, watching as Lavi and Allen struggled to get away from each other.
"See what you did Lavi." Allen grumbled as he finally pulled his foot from under Lavi's head. On the way out, he sneakily guided a small kick to the boy's red hair-covered head.
"It wasn't just my fault, Allen." Lavi muttered, rubbing the back of his head as he grimaced. "And stop kicking me!"
"I will when you stop acting foolish!" Allen exclaimed as he sat up and sat back against the hallway wall. He brushed his pants off, ignoring Lavi's complaints as he huffed.
"Oh, looks like you dropped the container you had been holding earlier Allen." Shifu stated in his usual monotonous voice from Rikei and Lou Fa's side.
"Oh, yeah, it seems you did Allen." Lenalee said, giggling a little. "It's rather surprising you forgot about something holding food inside of it."
"Oh, uh, yeah." Allen said, rubbing the back of his head nervously with his left hand.
"Hmm." Road hummed in the back of her throat as she leaned over, picking at the foil that covered the container. As she stared, hearing the others talk about it from behind her, she noticed little holes that were scattered over the thin foil. Air holes? Curious, she picked up the edge of the foil.
"Neh, Allen~!" Road called, drawing the attention of Allen and his friends instantly. "What's this little kitten doing in here?" She asked deviously before Allen could even realize she had lifted the foil top.
Eye widening, Allen watched nervously as Road reached in and pulled out Timcanpy. The little kitten's tail swished back and forth, his mouth opening so he could mew as he wiggled his body in an attempt to get away from Road.
"You brought Timcanpy?" Everyone seemed to ask Allen at the same time, all their eyes focused on him. Feeling awkward, Allen laughed sheepishly and slid his way over to Road. He reached out and grabbed the little kitten and smiled.
"Yeah, Timcanpy wanted to celebrate too." He muttered with a large smile as he hugged the kitten to his chest.
"But wasn't there food in there?" Krory asked as he stared at Allen like everyone else was.
"There sure was." Mana said from the kitchen doorway, a small smile on his face even as he gave Allen a look that seemed to be scolding him gently. And from the way the white headed boy ducked his head and lowered his shoulders, it seemed he was.
"There was Mitarashi Dango in there." Neah said, suddenly at his brother's side. "55 sticks of it to be exact. I thought you wouldn't eat it Allen."
"I-I wasn't going to." Allen explained glancing away from Neah and Mana's accusing gazes. "But Tim wanted to come... And, well, I just ate 'em-."
"But we only left you alone for about a minute or two!" Neah exclaimed, recalling the one moment he and Mana had left Allen alone in the house before they all left. "How could you even eat it that fast?"
"It wasn't just me!" Allen exclaimed, waving his arms about. "Tim ate about half, too!"
"You're telling us the cat ate the Mitarashi Dango with you?" Mana said, albeit gently he sounded dubious.
"Of course I am." Allen said. "If it wasn't true, I wouldn't even try convincing you that it was." Allen stated as Tim wiggled his lithe body in his arms.
Shaking his head, Neah turned on his heels. "Well, I'll have to tell Jerry you ate desert." Neah mumbled as he headed back into the kitchen sluggishly.
"Why don't you and the other's go to the living room? It's already pretty crowded here in the kitchen." Mana suggested as he smiled at the youngsters of the groups that had come. Everyone agreed with a nod of their head or a spoken consent, while others just stayed silent, not objecting but not agreeing. Mana left with his usual smile, and the little group of youngsters slowly made their way into the Lee's living room, led by Alma and Kanda once again.
The spacious living room was decorated like the kitchen. Fake golden and crimson leaves were tied onto a long, barely seeable string and were strung around the room merrily, mimicking the look of Christmas lights. A cornucopia was placed upon the large coffee table centered within the middle of the room with the two-part leather couch wrapping around it, almost as if it was trying to conceal it. Each person took a seat on the couch; Lou Fa, Rikei, and Shifu were next to each other. Miranda and Krory were at the right end of the couch, opposite of the side those three were at. The middle consisted of, in order from left to right, Alma, Kanda, Lenalee, Lavi, Allen, and then Road at his side. Little Timcanpy's place was on Allen's lap, which he easily made himself comfortable on before glancing up at the young boy.
"You're lucky I wasn't in trouble." Allen mumbled, sighing before he gently pat the kitten on the head.
"I haven't seen Tim in so long." Lenalee commented as she leaned forward so she could get a look at the kitten. Little Tim seemed to notice her stare and mewed softly before walking over Allen and Lavi to reach the girl. He rubbed up against her, to which she giggled and smiled with delight. Allen and Lavi watched, looking almost annoyed, as the cat brought his paws up onto Lenalee's chest, propping himself up so he could nuzzle her cheek. "He's so loveable."
"Yeah, I'm sure he's only doing that because he wants to get a little peek too." Lavi mumbled, prompting Allen to shove his shoulder into the red head's side. "W-what? You know it's true."
"Shut it, baka usagi." Kanda muttered from the other side of Lenalee, his eye practically twitching as he watched Timcanpy being showered with affection.
"Geeze, Tim must have learned something from Cross." Alma mused at his side as he watched the kitten with curiosity. The males in the room blanched, hoping that certainly wasn't the case.
"Speaking of that drunkard," Allen mumbled as he leaned over Lavi to grab Tim gently from Lenalee's lap. "Do you think he is even coming?" He asked no one in particular, his thoughts briefly fleeting to the thick-haired drunk bastard everyone called Cross. He was a friend of the Walker and Lee family, how they could even like that man he didn't know at times. Especially the Lee's, what with Komui being so protective of his sister.
"He said he would be coming, right, Allen?" Krory asked from his right. Allen nodded as he turned to look at the older male.
"Yeah, he did, but he's the only one who isn't here yet." Allen mumbled as he set Timcanpy down on his lap.
"Knowing that bastard, he won't come until this stupid get-together is over." Kanda muttered gruffly with annoyance hinting in every word.
"Or maybe he'll show up when the partying actually begins." Road chimed in with a finger caught on her lower lip.
"I wouldn't doubt it." Lenalee added as she brushed off the skirt of her dress.
"That's upsetting to know you all can agree to that." Miranda said in a hushed tone.
Nodding, Allen sighed as Tim jumped off of his lap. "Cross has always been… well..." He struggled to find one word that could accurately describe the man without sounding too rude.
"He's a dick." Kanda stated bluntly, supplying Allen with the best possible word.
"Yeah, Kanda pretty much summed it up." Allen muttered.
"Wow!" Lavi said and laughed. "You two are actually agreeing on something!"
"Can't we agree on something for once?" Allen muttered, shooting an annoyed gaze Lavi's way.
"Well, sure, but I never expected to ever witness it with my own eyes." He explained with a smile.
"Neither did I." Alma chimed in, chuckling as everyone glanced at him.
"Heh, you and Kanda really don't get along Walker." Rikei said with a laugh, finally saying something since their welcome at the door.
"We would if he wasn't so moronic." Kanda mumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Right, like I am the moronic one." Allen replied sarcastically with a roll of his eyes. "I have more sense than you do in your pinky finger."
"The way you act contradicts that, Moyashi." Kanda retorted sharply.
"It's-!"
"Riiiight." Lenalee chimed in before the argument could even start, watching enviously as Tim trotted to the other side of the room. "Why don't we all talk about something else?"
Before anyone could even suggest a subject, a new voice rang out among them from the kitchen. "Okay everyone!" Everyone recognized the cheery voice as Jerry's. "The meal is finished!"
Everyone in the living room hadn't even blinked before Allen was gone, dashing to the dining room before anyone could even lift a finger. Lenalee and Lavi made jokes about their friend's appetite, while Kanda huffed and simply followed as they all followed the Moyashi's imaginary trial out of the living room and into the dining room.
The Lee's had brought out three different tables. They were each long and sturdy, and they had pushed them together to create one, long table for their friends and family. Everyone took a seat without a word, but each person was eyeing the meal with hunger glinting in their eyes. The Noah's were clustered on the left side of the table, with Neah and Mana taking up the one end of the table. The right accompanied Allen and all of his friend's, and Tiedoll sat at the other end, opposite of Mana and Neah. It was odd to have everyone together like this, but everyone seemed to be enjoying it so far.
"Ah, seems I came just in time."
Everyone looked up and over to the doorway, only to see the cocky older man that Allen and his friend's had just been talking about. A cigarette was clenched between his teeth, and his long mane of scarlet tresses was combed back. He was dressed up nicely like everyone else, and if Allen wouldn't have known the man better, he could have mistaken him for a real gentleman.
"So you finally show up, Cross." Tiedoll said as the man came walking over towards him, taking the seat right next to the man who spoke.
"You're late." Skinn stated from the other side of the table. He hadn't even spoken til now, and Lavi made a face at the rough quality of his voice.
"Actually, I'd say I'm early." Cross replied as he sat down. "The alcohol isn't even out yet." He stated with a grin as he leaned back, tilting back the chair until it rested back against the wall.
"Could you forget the alcohol for once?" Tyki commented as he eyed the man.
"Course not!" Laughing, Cross smirked when Tim jumped onto his lap. "Well, don't let me stop you all from continuing." He sat as he pat the cat on the head.
They all looked from Cross to the meal, then back to Cross, and then back to the meal again. Sighing, Lenalee lent an idea to the start of the meal.
"How about we all go around and say what we are thankful for?" She suggested. "After all, it is Thanksgiving."
"Ooh! Ohh! Me first!" Lavi said, practically jumping up and down in his seat with his excitement. When everyone around the table simply nodded, Lavi settled down and grinned. "I'm thankful for all of this wonderful food Jerry made." Lavi said, sending an appreciative glance towards the pink-haired chef. "Even though I'm pretty sure Moyashi-chan over there will inhale it all before we even get a bite."
"Hey!" Almost everyone around the table gave a laugh at that comment. The most humorous thing about that statement was probably the fact that it was believable.
"Alright, go Lena." Lavi said, nodding to the dark haired girl.
Lenalee gave the prompt a thought for a moment, and then she smiled and said, "I'm thankful for the new people we've invited this year, and the new friends we've made."
Several people nodded their heads, agreeing with the young girl. "What about you Kanda?" Tiedoll asked from beside Cross, his eyes lighting up as he addressed the boy he considered a son.
"Me? I'm not thankful-." Alma shut the boy up with a nudge to the side.
"Don't lie, Yuu." He said as he stared at Kanda with stern eyes.
"Fine," Kanda snapped, wiping his head to the side. He gave a sigh and the hard expression on his face seemed to soften, even just a little bit. "I'm thankful to spend my time with those I do care about." He said quietly with his arms over his chest.
"Huh." Devit scoffed, his brother quickly echoing him. "So you do have a heart?" He said.
"That's exactly what I was thinking." Allen agreed in a mumble.
"Shut it, Moyashi." Kanda said, glaring at Allen. "You too you flamboyant twerp," He said, glancing to Devit and his brother.
"I think I am thankful for the booze." Cross suddenly cut in, "And the women." He said, tugging playfully on Tim's tail. "You can never forget the women."
"Right, what a typical response from you, Cross." Allen said from the other end of the table.
"What?" Cross muttered as he bent down to place Timcanpy on the floor. "You have a better idea of what to be thankful for, moron?"
Allen thought for a minute and then nodded, smiling a grin that seemed to spread loving warmth to everyone around him. "I sure do." He stated. "I'm happy to have a family of friends consisting of all you goof-balls."
Everyone smiled back at Allen, some laughed, and others just seemed to approve with their eyes. "Well said boy," Tyki commented with a sly smile. "Now how about we all dig in before this food gets cold?" He suggested.
No one could possibly say no. The food looked so appetizing. The large meal Jerry made consisted of four bowls of mashed potatoes; six small bowls of a variation of gravy; seven bowls of different kinds of vegetables; a bowl of cranberry sauce; six large bowls of stuffing; and finally, there were two large turkeys; There were also two pies and some pudding that were brought by Lavi, Bookman, and Allen and his family, but those were set off to the side for later. It was a large meal, but it would be enough for everyone to get a good fill.
Soon a low commotion was echoing inside the dining room as conversations were sparked up and dishes were passed around. Everyone was smiling and talking, and soon plates were filled up and people were enjoying the grand meal. Everyone seemed to say something about the meal, and some even complimented Jerry.
By the time the meal was finished, dusk had already approached them and snow was falling steadily outside. Smiling and laughing, everyone made their way into the living room and settled themselves on the couch or on the floor.
"Now is the time to pop open the alcohol bottles." Cross stated with a smile. A bottle of alcohol already was in his hand.
"Alright Cross, you're right this one time." The Earl stated from his seat on the couch as he eyed the long haired man.
"I don't know what you mean. I'm right almost all of the time." Cross said with a laugh before popping the cork on the champagne. Glasses were passed out to the adults, and some of the youngsters watched with obvious envy as they filled their glasses.
"Man, when I'm old enough to drink I'll probably drink as much as Cross." Lavi said as he leaned back, keeping himself propped up by his right hand that lay firmly on the floor.
"Why would you ever want to drink as much as that man?" Lulubell asked in a disapproving tone.
"Alcohol taste great." Lavi said with a smile.
"And how do you know that?" Bookman said with a raised brow from the couch.
"Busted! Hee hee!" Jasdero cried cheerily.
Trying to change the subject, Lavi inched his way closer to Allen and petted Tim on the head. "He's been pretty good today. I'm sort of surprised." He murmured before scratching the kitten behind the ears.
"I'm just as surprised that you noticed." Allen murmured as he watched Tim arch his back and purr. Seems the kitten was enjoying the attention he was receiving from the usually enthusiastic red head. "I'm also surprised he's not trying to climb his way up your leg or something." Allen said with a laugh.
"Oh, you mean like he did to Kanda last year?"
"Don't remind me." Kanda grumbled from Lavi's side, his face twisted up into a sneer.
"Looks like he might want to torture Kanda some more," Alma said as he laughed, spotting the kitten climbing off of Allen's lap and trotting over to him and Kanda slowly.
"Tim, you better behave." Neah called from the couch, eyeing the kitten warily from the couch. He knew Tim could be mischievous at times, but he was hoping this wasn't one of those instances.
But, surprising everyone within the room, Tim simply marched right past Kanda and even Alma. He pranced past Miranda and Krory, and he even jumped his way over Lou Fa and Rikei's legs. Instead of settling himself by anyone, the cat simply made his way to the large, silver grand piano that sat in the corner of the room.
As everyone watched with amusement, Tim jumped onto the seat in front of it, delicately onto the keys, and then finally onto the top of the piano. When no one said or did anything, the cat turned his head and glanced at Allen, mewing when their eyes met.
"I think he wants you to play, boy." Tyki muttered from the couch before lifting his alcohol filled glass to his lips.
"Allen, you should." Road cooed from the floor, rearing up on her knees in excitement. "I want to hear you play."
"Have at it Allen." Komui said when the young boy glanced his way questioningly. "The piano's barely been used, and I'm sure we'd all love to hear how far along you are in that melody Neah taught you." He said.
Allen looked around him, seeing his friend's smiling or saying words of encouragement. It took him a moment or so to make himself stand and walk over to the piano, feeling nervous and excited.
He'd only played in front of Mana and Neah before, and of course Tim, but never so many people before. His apprehension towards playing before so many people had his heart racing, but he ignored it as he sat down in front of the piano with a sigh.
Tim sat directly in front of him, right behind the stand holding a music sheet from some various songs. He gazed at the intelligent little creature as he positioned his fingers over the keys, feeling them tremble because of his nerves.
And then, he pushed down, pressing all of the keys he needed to and starting the melody. He was astounded by how easily his fingers moved across the keys, his innate talent finally showing itself as it helped him play the melody perfectly.
From behind him, Neah smiled happily, hearing the melody he had composed with his brother years ago being brought to life again. His nephew played it beautifully, and when Mana began to gently hum along softly he felt his heart clench. He remembered the words perfectly, and as the melody continued, he let his mellifluous tenor voice slowly join in with the gentle flow of the melody.
Allen was astonished to hear his uncle singing, but his voice melded so sweetly with the melody that Allen couldn't help but admire Neah's talents. Ignoring the shaking of his hands and nervousness creeping up on him, he slowly joined in, letting his voice harmonize with the melody and Neah's own smooth tone.
They sang together, with the melody ringing out in the living room and Mana humming slowly along. By the time they had sang the melody through twice, their friends and family slowly began to pick up on the words and sing along. It wasn't the usual, cheery song you could find families signing, but its gentle and swift tone seemed to deliver each person to a new kind of bliss, one that each of them could share.
Even Cross sang along, and as Allen finished the melody and heard his friends and family cheering around him, he realized just how lucky he was. He loved everyone around them, whether they were old friends or new friends, family or simply acquaintances. He loved them all dearly, and they were all precious to him. He meant it when he said he was thankful for them all.