How It Should Be
Notes: Usual disclaimers apply. Not for profit for fun.
Oh my, this is inspired by a prompt from the Springkink on Lj way back in 2009. The prompt being Kanda/Lavi/Allen - Learning to say Goodbye/Library. I didn't pick the prompt, but the idea stayed with me and OT4, instead. Enjoy. It's just a little piece.
..
Lavi, Kanda and Chaoji are boxing up books from the library. Lavi assigns what he deems are sections of library 'safe to let philistines like Kanda and Chaoji' loose on. While he sorts out books that are older, more fragile and need more care. He feels a little mean lumping both Kanda and Chaoji together when they are nothing like each other - but the guilt is only minute, and momentary. Also since Chaoji joined the ranks of the Exorcists under Tiedoll's tutelage, he's become almost as much of Kanda's shadow as Howard Link is Allen's.
Chaoji though is in too much awe of Kanda and more than a little scared, so once duties are done with, he excuses himself to go off to help his old shipmates Maosa and Kie, who are now finders with the Black Order.
"Oh man, that kid is so tiresome!" Kanda sighs as he slides down a wall, finishing in a sitting position, legs stretching out. It is hot dusty work shifting the library.
"C'mon, it isn't like I was any different when I first came," only paying Yuu half a mind as he is mentally cataloguing the books that he needs for study and analysis when they are finally at the new place. Lavi hears that it is large, spacious and airy. He isn't sure he likes the sound of that. It just means it is not somewhere he can hide, as he does in this one. He wonders if there will be stained glass windows in that one.
"Tch! You are always annoying. Then as now."
"Aww, Yuu. You don't mean that really." Lavi looks down at him from the shelf he is working from. The green eye gleaming clear, the corner of the mouth crinkles just on the edge of laughter.
"Hn, maybe not all the time." Kanda looks away first.
"Well, that's that done." Bookman Junior scratches off a few things and notes down other things in the library ledger, then closes the book with a satisfying 'thwap'. He goes over to the wall Kanda is sitting at and plonks himself next to the swordsman. Kanda sneezes and jabs him in the ribs. "Ow! Yuu! What?"
"You're dusty. Go sit a little further away."
"Only a little and no, I'm not moving." Lavi pulls off his bandana and wipes at some drips of perspiration off his neck. Deftly he changes the subject. "You've a mission to go to after this. I'll be here a while yet, and Allen's all packed up and ready to go."
Allen is going earlier with personnel from the Science Division, the Lee siblings included. Allen is to help them open some ark gates so that moving to the premises will be expediently smoother.
"I'm back here after that though. The rest of us will move together."
Lavi does not tell Yuu that he and Bookman are travelling earlier on Bookman's business. With Central's involvement - due to investigations into the link between Allen's abilities to be 'the Musician' for the Ark and open gates for it and the Noahs - the politics of the War moves in directions that need to be observed and recorded. He does not want Yuu to ask either, because he does want to lie to his friend. Bookman is clear on this. Even Allen does not know yet, although he will soon enough. Junior gets the feeling that what is in store for Allen is going to be quite the tribulation, but his Bookman's hands are tied and he cannot warn Walker.
As if some hand of fate is working against him, Allen pokes his head round the doorway.
"Ahh, found you slackers!" Allen's shout of triumph bounces and echoes between the empty bookcases. The books are not there to absorb the sound anymore. "Lenalee! They're here. Both of 'em!"
"We've come to say goodbye." Lenalee is breathless from running along the corridor. Allen lets Lenalee in first, before coming in behind her.
"Tch. Don't be stupid, it's only for a couple of days at the most." Kanda snorts through his nose. It is Lenalee he's talking to, so he reins in the inherent need to insult, quite marvelously. This amuses Lavi no end. That Yuu CAN be biddable if he tries hard enough. The younger Bookman does not add much to the conversation, balancing between not lying and not having to tell the truth either.
"It's a newer building, so we can only hope for fewer ghosts." Lavi finally adds his tuppence worth.
"Bigger training arena I've heard," Yuu's priorities are predictable. "Your brother better have decent swords and weapons in the armouries this time that f-"
"The canteen," Allen tries to drown out Kanda's almost expletive, "will be bigger too with a larger kitchen." His eyes positively glow like a thousand stars when he thinks about the food - the amount of food.
"Hopefully we will find new accommodators to fill up some of the empty rooms," Lenalee says quietly. They all know that she is thinking of those recently lost. Lavi pushes himself up to stand to where Lenalee and Allen are. He drapes both arms over their shoulders as he squashes in between them.
"Sure we will," he says as he laughs his most infectious laugh, "and Yuu can train them all!"
"Like hell I will!" He takes Lavi's proffered hand and pulls himself up. "Why don't YOU take up some of the training duties. Idiotic rabbit."
"Ahh - but I'm not YU~uu!" the redhead chants in singsong. "Yuu-UU are the only one ~!"
The swordsman's hand goes to Mugen and strikes the shelf above Lavi's head with a resounding whack faster than anyone can blink. He smirks at Lavi, "The next time I really WILL hit you. So shut up!"
"Jeez Yuu, you're so scary!"
"Yeah, you really are just a bully aren't you Bakanda!"
"You can quit it and all, Beansprout."
Lenalee watches the argument, with a smile. This is as it should be, this is how her world should be.
Lavi watches Lenalee out of the corner of his eye, even as he is arguing with both Yuu and Allen, and sees her smile. Yes this is how it should be.
..
FIN
Notes: This is for posting date 4 Sept. If it was your birthday then, Happy Belated Birthday!
'tuppence' = two pence/ two pennies. Well they are in England so pennies it is. ^_^
As ever thank you so much for reading, you're all so loved! *HUGS* - Zan
Part 36 of the 49 Days series