Celebration

The long awaited welcome home party to celebrate the return of the Exorcists from the Ark had finally started. Almost everyone was there; Lenalee with her awkwardly short hair, Allen with his dazzling smile and huge appetite, Komui with his maniacal laugh. Even those from the Science department and the Finders were there. Everyone was there, except a certain long haired and grouchy exorcist by the name of Kanda Yu, as noted by the bookman apprentice. The red head sat around and joked and ate. However, all the time, his mind was on the absence of his self proclaimed friend. So, when the opportunity to slip off was presented to him, he took it.

Quietly, he slipped out of the cafeteria where the celebrations took place and headed towards the back exit of the headquarters. He pushed open the heavy oak doors and walked towards the forest beyond the gates. In the pale moonlight, he was able to discern a well-trodden path and followed it. Eventually, it would lead to place belonging to the both of them and no one else. He smiled a little and picked up his pace. Soon, he emerged out of the forest and a meadow unfolded in front of him. And, sure enough, he found his friend there.

Kanda was lying on the grass with his hand folded under his head. His long black hair was undone and pooled around him. Lavi smiled again and found himself wondering, not for the first time, how Yu always managed to look so beautiful.

"Yo Taishou!!"

Kanda looked up and saw Lavi with his silly grin standing next to him.

"Che…go away…"

Lavi grinned even wider and took that as an invitation to join him and lay down on the soft cool grass next to Kanda. He turned his head slightly to look at his friend.

"You didn't go for the party."

That line was more of an accusation than a statement.

"Like I would..."

The bookman apprentice couldn't help but laugh at his answer. After all, in his many years here, the red head never really saw Kanda at any celebrations unless he was dragged there by Lavi or forced to by Komui.

"Ne Yu… what are you doing out here?"

"Tch. How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?"

Kanda did not seem in the least interested to tell him anything. He just stared up at the starry sky in a determined manner; a scowl was slowly but surely forming on his face.

Lavi too followed his gaze and saw the sky like he had never seen before. The dark velvet sky was full of stars with the crescent moon was slowly making its way across the sky. The moonlight did not overshadow the silver starlight but rather, complimented it. The thin wisps of cloud stretching across the sky completed that picture perfect scene.

The red head gazed absent-mindedly into the sky and found himself thinking back about the many things that he had gone through with the person lying next to him. He remembered the suspicious and wary look he received from Kanda at their first introduction. He also remembered how attracted he was to him ever since then. He recounted the numerous missions they undertook together and how they always watched out for each other (even though Kanda would never admit to that). He recalled his anxiety on the Ark when they had to leave Kanda behind and he also recalled how ecstatic he was just to see Kanda emerge through that doorway.

He stretched lazily and rolled over to look at Kanda. Just then, an idea popped into the mischievous mind of the bookman apprentice.

"Ne….Yu, doesn't that cluster of stars there look like a rabbit?"

Kanda's scowl deepened and replies with a slight hint of annoyance. "Where?"

The red head grinned inwardly and put on a fake pout. "Can't you see it? It's just over there!!"

Kanda looked in the vague direction that the rabbit was pointing at but still saw nothing that looked remotely like a rabbit. "I still don't see it."

Just then, Lavi took Kanda's hand in his and drew out a rabbit in the sky. "See it now?"

Kanda said nothing but frowned at the bookman apprentice. That idiot had either forgotten to let go of his hand or did not have any intention to release his hand. He tried to pull his hand away but Lavi held on tightly.

"Oi…you can let go of my hand now. I've seen your stupid rabbit already."

Lavi smiled and suddenly, without warning, he pulled Kanda's hand to his lips and placed a light kiss on the back of his hand. Kanda positively glared at Lavi and tugged his hand free. He then rolled over onto his side so that his back was facing Lavi. However, the red head swore he saw the ends of Kanda's lips curving up ever so slightly before he rolled over. "You're smiling."

"No, I'm not you idiot."

"I'm sure you did."

"No, I did not," he almost shouted. He then sat up and glared at Lavi. "You should get your eyes checked," he huffed.

Lavi too sat up and moved slightly such that he was sitting behind Kanda. A few quiet moments passed and nothing was heard except for the song of the crickets weaving into the mellifluous whispers of the wind.

Lavi moved a little closer to Kanda and started running his fingers through those ebony black strands. He liked the way those soft and silky strands would cascade through his fingers. Kanda did not raise any objections or threaten murder like he usually did and Lavi considered that as an auspicious sign. He allowed himself a silent chuckle when he realised that he is probably the only one in the whole world who is able to play with Kanda's hair without losing a few fingers. What he does not know however, is that Kanda actually likes the way that Lavi treats his hair, not that Kanda would tell him so.

Lavi contemplated his silent companion for a while and without saying anything, his hands slipped to Kanda's waist and gently tried to pull him closer. Kanda did not budge and inclined his head slightly, a frown evident on his fair face. Lavi grinned sheepishly and tried again. Kanda sighed and allowed Lavi to pull him close this time.

The bookman apprentice proceeded to wrap his arms around Kanda's slender waist. He could feel the object of his affection tense up momentarily and then relax when Lavi had coaxed him enough to lie on his chest.

The red head leaned forward and rested his head on his lover's shoulders, taking in the nice faint scent coming from Kanda. Lavi then let out a small sigh of contentment. Unexpectedly, Kanda flinched.

Lavi smiled. He never knew his lover could be so ticklish. Who knew that a small exhalation at his ear could produce such an interesting reaction? It was at times like this when Lavi found Kanda to be extremely cute. Unconsciously, his hands hugged Kanda tighter still.

Meanwhile, Kanda lay listening to the red head's rhythmic heart beat and breathing. The warmth coming from Lavi was comforting. The combined effect of the warmth and heart beat had a soporific effect on him. He felt his eyelids growing heavier and sleep wasn't too far away from him. After all, today had been a tiring day. The invasion of the headquarters and the fight with the Level 4 that morning had tired him and the problem was further compounded when the moyashi insisted that Kanda should train with him that afternoon.

Lavi watched as Kanda's breathing grew more even and deep. Suddenly, the bookman apprentice found the words that the Bookman said to him that afternoon playing through his head when he looked at his lover.

Bookman have no need for heart.

Perhaps he had grown too attached to Kanda but suddenly realised that he resented those words. His conversation with the bookman that afternoon had made him realise how reluctant he would be to leave this place, to leave the friends he had made, and to leave the person in his arms.

If you find your innocence turning into the crystallisation type, we'll leave here immediately. You don't have to be so involved in the war.

The bookman apprentice sighed. "Yu…"

"Hmm….," came the sleepy reply.

"Would you miss me if I left the order?"

"Shut up…why would you be leaving the order? Even if you wanted to, I won't let you," mumbled the almost asleep Kanda.

When Lavi heard that, he felt his heart flutter and miss a beat. This had to be the closest thing that his Yu has ever said in acknowledgement of their relationship. Kanda's ambiguous attitude towards their relationship had always baffled Lavi. One minute he would be threatening murder with Mugen while the next he would be almost civil towards him.

Having heard those words from Kanda, Lavi could not help but to smile broadly. He wanted to tell Kanda how much he appreciated him and how Kanda made him feel like the most loved person on earth. However, that will have to wait for when he looked down, his heart melted at the sight that greeted him.

His angel was nestled on his chest; the expression on the face was peaceful and relaxed. His perfectly sculptured eyes were lightly closed and his chest rose and fell with each breath. The wind picked up a little and blew colder. This caused the sleeping Kanda to snuggle further into Lavi's embrace.

Lavi softly stroked his lover's long hair and rested his head back on Kanda's shoulder and whispered, sotto voce, into his lover's ear "Aishiteru."

"Love you too…" was the mumbled reply. All around them, the crickets serenaded as if celebrating their love while the crescent moon above blessed them.

When you say you love me, do you know how I loved you?