Edit 2009/5/21: Changed the ending a bit, thanks for the constructive reviews!
Much thanks to Minerva-sama for inspiring me to write for this pair and Jo for proofreading.
Disclaimer: I can't own Man....but if I did we sure would see some interesting stuff. Bwahaha. Oh and I don't own Shonen Jump
Japanese (Nihongo) Lesson Time!
moyashi is bean sprout
shishou is Master
nee-chan is way of saying sister
(And btw, Mel is your humble authoress)
Road happily tackled Lavi with a force that left him staggering. After he regained his posture he spun around quickly a few times, exciting Road to giggle uncontrollably. Her unbridled laughter caused a few heads to turn, but to any stranger the pair merely looked like a brother and sister having fun.
"Since when has Road-" began Lenalee, but she trailed off while staring at the strange spectacle before her. She then turned to Allen who wore an equally quizzical look.
"Eh, it's nothing special," Mel commented, waving a nonchalant hand towards the direction of the happy pair. "Ever since the incident in the ark she's been like this," she continued, her eyes still focused on the Shonen Jump she was reading. (And it's the Japanese one guys, that thing is HUGE)
Lenalee and Allen digested this information in shocked silence. Their eyes were still glued to the now arm wrestling pair. More detail was required apparently.
Mel's eyes flickered briefly from her magazine to survey the exorcists. She heaved a fake annoyed sigh and spoke.
"Ok, she's been acting like this ever since Lavi beat her at her own mind game. What more is there to get?" she said exasperatedly, eyes back on the magazine.
Something in Allen's brain must have started creaking to life because he looked like he put two and two together...finally.
"Sooo....she....likes him?" he asked with a timid hopefulness in his voice that brought a smile to Lenalee's lips.
WHACK
The magazine hit Allen squarely on the head, followed by a curt "BAKA!"
"No," Mel continued testily, "she respects him." She then muttered something about getting twenty from two and two.
Lenalee's gaze (and Allen's after he'd rubbed his head a few times) drifted back to the red haired bookman who was being given an Indian burn on his left arm by the hyperactive girl.
"Of course," Allen remarked dryly, "one can see instantly the high esteem in which she holds him."
WHACK
Lenalee was still watching the dynamic duo who were currently engaged in a strange battle of rock, paper, scissors. The loser had to punch the other as hard as he or she could.
Allen sighed wearily as he massaged his head. "Are you sure she doesn't like him?" he asked in an almost whiny tone.
Lenalee giggled again while Mel shook her head.
"If you want my opinion," she said as she turned a page, "she probably realizes that it's best to try and NOT kill her lover's friend." After this declaration she looked up to give Allen a loopy grin.
"Delighted to hear that," Allen muttered.
"Sorry Allen-kun. You're not off the hook yet," Lenalee added, patting him gently on the head.
It took Allen a severe amount of self-control to keep himself from falling to the floor and beating his head against the pavement.
"Why me?" he whined instead.
"Because she looooves you moyashiii!!" came the surprise response from Lavi with a bright-eyed Road thrown over his shoulder as if she were a sack of potatoes. Road giggled, waved to Lenalee, and then blew a kiss to Allen.
As if by magic a pink heart suddenly appeared by her lips and flew towards Allen. In slow motion he tried to move away and dodge it by hiding behind Lenalee.
But the heart (amazingly acting like the bullets fired from Cross's anti-akuma weapon) followed their target. And instead of a Noah being hit and suffering agonizing pain, a white haired exorcist was hit...and still suffered agonizing pain.
"Oh stop exaggerating," Lavi chastised Allen who was spitting and wiping his lips.
"B-b-but she-she did it again!" Allen yelled, his patience stretched too thinly.
Before could Road could teasingly give a retort, a low whistle was heard coming from behind Lavi.
Apparently some boy fancied the view Road afforded slung across Lavi's shoulder.
"Nice panties!" the boy yelled.
Road's face took a calm all-knowing look, much like the one that appeared before her deadly candles popped out.
However she did nothing and instead gave a little "hmmph."
The brief surprise exhibited by everyone was soon broken by a simple comment.
"Hey, that's the same guy who tried groping my butt," Lenalee said to no one in particular.
Almost instantly the boy was pinned against the floor by a multitude of extremely sharp and exquisitely colored candles.
Lavi slowly turned around to survey the damage, while Allen gaped in silent shock.
Road shrugged her shoulders as Lavi and Allen looked to her for an explanation. "It made more sense to do it for the sake of nee-chan," Road simply replied.
Lavi grinned and resumed their play by spinning around again. "Yay for Road and her deadly pseudo-innocent variegated candles!" he happily yelled out.
"Yay for Bookman playing with me and using vocab words!" cried the young Noah, still being spun around.
The two became a strange blur of color when quite suddenly one of the blurs jettisoned toward Allen. Emitting from the blur was a high pitched "Whee!"
Road collided so forcefully with Allen she knocked him down. By the time he regained his faculties a small face was peering down at him.
A small face that was extremely close.
A bit too close.
Allen tried in vain to pull her away as he shakily stood up.
"Umm Road...you're kinda invading my personal bubble."
"Oh really? I was under the impression you had no bubble ever since I popped it when I hugged you back in the Rewinding Town," came the sugary reply.
"Do tell us more!" Lavi grinned as he and Lenalee watched Allen try to pry Road off him.
"We were sooo close Allen remember? You could hear my heartbeat and I-"
Allen screamed as he gave up trying to get Road off him and a defeated sigh came from within the white-haired exorcist.
"You should so take her out to tea Allen," a happy voice declared.
Three exorcists and a Noah turned to look at Mel who was still reading her Shonen Jump.
"You'd make such a cute pair!"
Allen groaned as Road squealed with joy.
"Please take me Allen! Please? I'll dress up all nice just for you!"
"Why me? Why?!"
"Really now moyashi, that's no way to treat your girlfriend."
"SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!"
"Allen-kun use your indoor voice."
"BUT WE'RE OUTSIDE!.....AND WHY AREN'T YOU ON MY SIDE?!"
"Is this Allen's woman?"
Allen's entire body tensed up. That voice...it could only be...
He slowly turned around, acutely aware that Road was still on him and straddling him from the front.
"Um...good afternoon...shishou.
Almost instantly Cross's tall figure loomed over the pair. He looked briefly at Allen before shaking his head and focusing his gaze on Road.
He walked around, looking at her from every angle before declaring, "Well she's tougher looking than that girl from the Asia Branch."
"Oh you mean the one who was practically drooling over Allen when he came back?" Lavi added.
"Yeah, that one."
A strange chill descended upon Allen as he determined that looking Road in the eye might cause premature death. A very painful premature death. More painful than death by the Earl.
"Allen. Who are they talking about?" Road asked in a voice that made Lavi and Lenalee's skin crawl. Her tone only made Cross and Mel smile inwardly.
Using every synapse in his brain to come up with a response that wouldn't have him meeting his maker, Allen decided upon the dangerous and possible back-firing response. Really, nothing else would work at this point.
Summoning all his strength, Allen exhaled and brought one hand to cradle Road's head and the other he left gently on her back. He then looked her in the eyes and said-in what was hopefully a comforting tone- "She's just a girl and she's nothing compared to you."
Mel snorted behind her magazine while Cross beamed happily.
Lavi and Lenalee hi-fived each other while Allen closed his eyes in a silent plea hoping he wouldn't be punctured by candles.
Road...blushed.
"Wait-what?" Allen asked in confusion once he opened his eyes and noticed a red-cheeked Road.
Peals of laughter came from Cross as he fell to the floor in sheer amusement. The others smiled knowingly.
So caught up in the moment were our characters that no one noticed a man walking up to them.
"Ah! Road, there you are," a voice lazily said.
The group of four exorcists, one Noah, and one authoress all turned to find Tyki calmly walking up to them.
He looked at the exorcist and Noah pair and simply shook his head. "For heaven's sake Road, stop torturing the poor boy. It's pointless."
Road's reply, as usual, was to giggle and hug Allen tighter.
"Long time no see," Cross said while shaking hands with Tyki.
Knowing Cross's strange lifestyle, no one found it too odd that a General and Noah would be greeting each other as if they were old friends. They exchanged a few more words no one could hear and then Tyki started to walk away.
"Oh yeah," he called out to Road, no bothering to turn around. "My dearest brother is on a rampage trying to find you. Something about you not around to have tea time or whatever."
It took a few seconds for what he said to sink in.
"Tyki has a brother?" Lavi finally managed to get out.
"And he's on…a rampage?" Lenalee also pondered out loud.
"For…Road?" Allen finished, and then realized the dire situation that was about to take place.
"MY ROAD-CHAN!" a freakishly high voice suddenly screeched out. A distraught man then graced their presence as he paused to take a breath. "Really now Road, you know better to scare me like that and WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THAT BOY?!"
Lord Kamelot was not pleased, to say the least.
The trees rustled slightly and a few birds flew off.
Lavi looked at Lenalee, who glanced at Cross, who grinned at Mel.
WHACK
Cross ran off with Lavi and Lenalee in tow while Mel quickly retrieved her Shonen Jump after throwing it into Lord Kamelot's face. She then giggled and ran off as well.
Allen, needing no further encouragement, ran for his life with Road still happily hugging him.
"Don't worry," she comforted him as they ran. "I'm sure he'll warm up to you soon enough."
Allen highly doubted it, but instead managed a brief smile while flying down the road.
Nothing like an angry father to make a young boy and his bonnie lass run for dear life.
Title comes from a song by Ros Sereysothea, a kick ass Cambodian singer from the 70's. It means "I'm 16" and it has a wicked guitar opening and solo.