Mozart's Spirit
(A D.Gray Man fanfiction)
By P.A. Lovas
Pairings: Lavi/Allen, with some Kanda/Linalee.
(rating subject to change as story progresses)
2.
Thank God for the Old Man.
For the hundredth time that morning, Lavi gave a silent thanks to whatever God, spirit, or ghost had decided to let Bookman tag along on this mission. He didn't think he could ever feel such a powerful wave of relief as he did when Allen's breath had steadied and his eyes opened beneath thick lashes. Between Bookman's acupuncture and the medicine that Lavi picked up, Allen seemed to be in better spirits. The only hints that remained of his condition were the flush to his cheeks and the slight pinch around his features, but his smile was real and he was awake.
"Allen-kun, sit still," Linalee scolded through a laugh. She had managed to corner the boy as soon as Bookman deemed it safe for him to have visitors. She was currently sitting cross-legged on the bed next to him, twisting strands of his hair into tiny braids, much to Allen's protest.
"Who would sit still for this?" Allen asked, frowning as Linalee tugged on his hair. "Ow, Linalee!"
"I told you to sit still. There, all done." She held up a small hand mirror that she had taken from the vanity table. "See that wasn't so bad."
Allen hung his head, pushing the mirror aside. "I look like an idiot," he moaned.
"How's that different from usual?"
Glaring at Kanda, Allen stuck out his tongue. "You're one to talk, Mr. Straight-Cut-Fringe."
"Call me that again, Bean sprout, and I'll kill you."
Allen's eyes darkened and his lips spread into a sinister grin. "What was that? I couldn't hear you over your girl bangs."
Lavi stepped forward as Kanda made a motion to the sword sheathed at his side, and placed a hand on his arm, obstructing. "Easy there, Yuu. He's sick, remember?"
Grey eyes narrowed, but he let his hand drop from the hilt. Kanda crossed his arms and let out an exasperated breath, returning to his former position of leaning against the wall. "Stupid rabbit."
Lavi laughed a small, nervous laugh.
"Here we go," said Krowly as he entered. He seemed to make the room seem even smaller in accommodation with his height. He handed Allen a plate piled with peeled fruits and meat. "You need to keep your strength up."
"Thank you, Krowly," Allen said. He laughed nervously as Krowly stood over him, watching, so he took a slice of apple. He made a show out of eating it, smiling and proclaiming it "Delicious".
Krowly clapped his hands together, and smiled brightly. "I'm glad."
Lavi watched the scene, arms crossed behind his head lazily. But he stared at Allen for a minute, his visible eye bright green and serious.
Allen just looked back, holding his gaze with a questioning one of his one. He squirmed a little, before tucking his head down. That eye was invasive in its scrutiny, piercing and all knowing. Sometimes, Allen felt that Lavi could see into your mind, and knew exactly what you were thinking. Sometimes, it seemed insidious and a little scary. And sometimes, like now, Allen was eternally grateful for the Bookman's ability. Apprentice Bookman, Allen reminded himself, as he watched Lavi shoo everybody out of the room with big, sweeping motions of his arms.
Allen breathed a little sigh of relief as the door clicked closed, separating him from his friends. Well, most of his friends. He gave a small smile as Lavi pulled up a chair near the bed, an arm's length away. Lavi turned the chair around, dropping into a straddle as he leaned his chin into his arms.
They simply watched each other, occasionally averting eyes to something else; the bed, the window, the floor. When Allen finally looked up again, Lavi was smiling at him, a warm, comforting smile.
"Thank you for that," Allen said, motioning to the door. He ran a hand through his hair, a frown touching his lips as his fingers tangled into the braids. "Damn it."
Lavi laughed and leaned over, grabbing onto a braid and began the slow process of untangling. "Man, you really made a mess of this."
Allen groaned. "Just hurry and get them out."
"Yes, sir. Your wish is my command," said Lavi. His fingers worked quickly, almost expertly, through the braids.
Allen sat very still, wincing when Lavi pulled his fingers through the more grievous knots. "You're surprisingly good at this."
"I'm surprisingly good at a lot of things." His lips were smiling though his voice was serious.
"And oh, so humble," Allen replied, his hair receiving a small tug in retaliation. "Ow, stop that."
"As you wish," laughed Lavi, running his fingers through Allen's now untangled hair. "I'm done anyway."
Allen pouted for a moment, rubbing at the spot where his scalp had just been mildly abused. "Thank you," he finally said.
Lavi smiled saying, "Well now you owe me."
Allen raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Ok, what do I owe you?"
Lavi continued to smile as he pushed the plate of food at Allen. "Eat."
"But-"
"I get it," Lavi said, his smile vanishing as he shook his head. "I kicked everybody out because it'll be easier if you don't have an audience, but I still want you to eat something."
Allen felt his face flush, though whether from the fever or Lavi's words, he wasn't entirely sure. So he simply nodded his head and picked a small piece of pear from the plate. He nibbled along the edge. "It's good."
"Allen, you don't have to put on a show for me." Lavi sighed, pushing Allen's bangs aside. He brought his hand to his forehead. "I'd be happier if it went down a little more," he murmured, clicking his tongue, obviously displeased.
"I'm sorry," Allen said, trying not to focus on how close the other boy was. Allen had been sick a few times before when Lavi was around, and it was always the same. He was part doctor, part mother, and, sometimes it seemed, part lover, when he would run his hand down Allen's cheek or palm the back of his neck. But this was Lavi, and his actions were never just simple motions. There was always a hidden agenda behind his touch.
Lavi pulled his hand away. "Don't be. This isn't your fault. In fact, I should be the one apologizing to you, keeping you out in the cold like that." Lavi shook his head as Allen was about to protest. "I know, I know, this isn't so simple as to be my fault. But I'm sure that didn't help matters any. So, just shut up and accept my apology, 'kay?"
Allen nodded, biting into a piece of bread to stop from smiling. Somehow, it was little things like this that made him feel so comfortable around Lavi. No matter how much smarter he was or how much more he knew, when it came to his friends he would always blame himself for their hardships, saying that he "should have known better". It was such a human flaw and there's no logic in the face of love, right?
Lavi sat quietly, flipping through a book as Allen ate. He had long since gravitated over to the bed, saying, "It's easier to read if I'm not all scrunched up." Allen didn't mind, and scrambled to the side, giving the other boy room stretch out.
After an hour of trying to force feed himself, Allen gave up. It was just making him feel worse with each bite he took and he was starting to feel a little lightheaded. He pushed the plate to the side, nudging it further away with his foot. He noticed Lavi looking up from his book, frowning a little as he eyed what was left on the plate. But he didn't say anything, just raised an arm. Allen felt relieved once he realized he wasn't in trouble and he laid next to Lavi, curling under his arm.
"It's pretty lonely when you're sick, hm?" Lavi's voice was cool and kind over the top of his book.
Allen nodded, knowing that Lavi would see it. He saw everything. Sighing, he snuggled deeper into his friend's side. "You're warm." He could feel Lavi's body shake lightly with a laugh.
"Gramps says I have an unusually high body temperature."
"Probably from all the fire," Allen mumbled as sleep started to cloud his words.
Lavi laughed. "Gramps says the bigger the fool the higher their body temperature."
"Mm hmm. That's true." Allen's eyes were drooping heavily, and he could feel as sleep started to steal over him.
Lavi's arm tightened around him, and he leaned over to whisper, "Get better, k?"
Allen tried to nod, or tell Lavi not to worry, but he only succeeded in making a small noise at the back of his throat. But this was Lavi, so Allen knew he got his message across.
The afternoon air was crisp and cool, not the deep, biting cold that Linalee knew would come later. She wondered over what difference it would have made if they had reached the hotel in the light, midday chill instead of the nipping cold of midnight. Would Allen still be sick? She figured it couldn't have been a simple 2 hour walk that pushed him into this illness. This idea was validated by Lavi's mother-hen nurturing and the basic fact that Bookman has locked himself away in his and Lavi's room, only emerging to poke at Allen, testing or looking for something. He would frown and grumble incoherently to himself before returning to his room with a slam of his door.
She wasn't a stupid girl. She could see all the signs. There was a similar look in Lavi's eye now as there had been back when she had been sick with fever. The worry and the care was the same, without his usual teasing and fun. That meant this was serious; as serious as it had been with her. Which meant Allen was probably dying.
She shivered as that thought crossed her mind, feeling tears burning at her eyes. It's true that last night he looked like he was on death's door, but hadn't Allen been fine just a little while ago? He was laughing along with her and Krowly, and even goading Kanda into small, bickering fights. But Lavi had stayed suspiciously quiet throughout the whole ordeal, watching everybody with what they had all dubbed his "Bookman-eye". And he seemed to know something about Allen that she didn't, which caused her, along with everybody else, to be unceremoniously to be dumped from the room.
Linalee jumped as something smooth brushed against her shoulders, interrupting her thoughts. "Sorry," Kanda said coming along side her. He placed his sword along the railing, keeping it close at hand.
Linalee shook her head, tucking her hair behind her ears. It had grown some since she lost most of it to the Level Three, and it now bobbed around her chin, smooth and dark. She found the simple act of pushing her hair away somehow made her feel better, and she smiled as she pulled his coat more tightly around herself. "It's ok. Thank you."
Kanda breathed a small irritated sound, narrowing his eyes. Linalee took that to mean "You're welcome". They stood in silence, shoulder to shoulder, and Linalee began reaching for something to say.
"Nice day," she tried.
"Ah."
"This town sure is pretty. I saw a bunch of kids running by before, so I guess there's a school around here. That must be nice."
"Ah."
Linalee frowned at his responses and spoke up, determined not to let him off that easily. "You know-"
"Hey," Kanda interrupted, turning to meet her eyes. "You used to be able to sit quietly."
Linalee smiled, and shook her head. "And you used to be able to tune it all out."
"Hm," came Kanda's reply, and she could swear she saw a small twitch of his mouth. That was as close to a smile as Kanda ever came, when it wasn't pulled over his lips in a taunting and bitter fashion. Somehow, it made Linalee feel a bit lighter.
"I really hope Allen-kun's going to be alright," she said. She wasn't really expecting a reply, she just wanted to say it out loud and have somebody hear.
Her older brother had always told her that wishes made silently to one self were doomed to fade into obscurity; but those made to somebody were twice as powerful, as it's made them share your wish. As she got older, she realized this was probably Komui's way of hearing her secret childhood desires; almost as if he got Linalee to read him her diary aloud. But when she wished so strongly for something, to protect somebody, she always made sure to tell another, in hopes that they would share her wish, if even only for a moment.
"The Bean sprout won't die that easily," Kanda said, brusquely. "At least if only to spite me."
Linalee laughed outright, causing Kanda's brows to knit, his expression even more sour than usual. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she gasped out between laughs. She dropped her hand over his as her laughter faded into a small giggle. "Thank you," she breathed. She knew, despite what Kanda wanted everybody to think, that at this moment, he was sharing her wish.
As soon as Lavi woke, he knew something was wrong. His side felt wet and sticky and something was trembling along the bed. With a start, he remembered the situation and his mind only screamed one thing; Allen.
Allen was no longer sleeping calmly. Instead, his hair was matted to his face and forehead, his breathing labored. With every intake of air, he seemed pained. All the color had drained from his face, save the fevered blush that seemed vibrant and almost red compared to the overall pallid tones that colored him, and the curse that rounded along his left cheek seemed to almost glow.
"Oh, hell," Lavi said, leaning down over Allen. He gave him a small shake calling his name. "Allen, come on, wake up, please?" Allen just made a small, pained noise, and Lavi's expression crumbled. He scooped Allen into his arms, tucking him against his chest. He wrapped his arms around him, willing the boy's trembling to stop, or even better, willing whatever was ailing him out of his body. But he knew it was nothing more than an idle wish, so he did the next best thing.
He shouted, "Gramps! Get in here, now! GRAMPS!"
He heaved an audible sigh of relief when the door opened, but instead of Bookman's small, shriveled faced, he was met with Krowly's morose, albeit concerned, one.
"Why all the screaming?"
"Kro-chan, I need you to get Gramps. And hurry."
Krowly's eyes fell on the shivering mass huddled in Lavi's lap. "Is Allen ok?"
"Just go!" Lavi half shouted, half begged, relieved as Krowly swept quickly from the room. He tried to pull Allen closer to him in an attempt to calm his trembling. From the heat radiating from his body, he knew his fever had
spiked to a dangerous level. He would be willing to place a guess somewhere around one hundred and four degrees, probably even higher.
"Come on, Allen." He soothed the flaxen hair from his face, fingers sliding over his sweat slicked flesh. He placed his forehead to Allen's and whispered to him, unsure if his voice could even reach him in this state. "You idiot, you were supposed to get better, not worse."
Allen's right fist balled into Lavi's shirt, a silent indication that he heard. Lavi placed his hand over Allen's smaller one, giving it a light squeeze. "Damn it, where is that stupid old panda?"
"You need to learn to respect your elders, brat."
Lavi's head shot up as Bookman entered the room, his head ducked into his coat as he pulled his medical case from its pocket. "Gramps!"
"How long has he been in this state?" Bookman asked, cutting to the chase and motioning for Lavi to bring Allen closer for viewing. He repeated Lavi's previous actions, though not quite as tenderly. He pushed his hair back, feeling his forehead, and took his pulse.
Lavi shook his head, looking down at the boy in his lap, guiltily. "I don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know?"
"I, um, might have fallen asleep."
"Idiot," Bookman muttered, fingers working quickly, sliding needles into delicate flesh. Lavi was sure that had Allen's condition been slightly better, Lavi would be recovering from one of Bookman's kicks, not that he didn't
deserve it this time. Lavi placed Allen carefully on the bed, before he gently slid off to stand to the side, doing the only thing he could do; watch.
"Calm yourself," Bookman said, after Lavi had taken to pacing. He pierced him with a sharp look out of the corner of his eye and Lavi could almost hear the mantra in his head.
Bookman have no need of emotions. Even if he dies, you won't care.
Lavi turned away, embarrassed and ashamed, because at that moment, Lavi hated the Old Man, and he hated his whole clan, and most of all he hated himself. He hated them for not being able to mourn this fundamentally sweet boy should something happen. He couldn't think of one thing the world could gain from Allen not being a part of it.
Despite his newfound resolution and defiance, he honestly didn't want to rebel against it all just yet. So he dropped into a chair, closed his eyes, and for the first time in his life, he prayed.
I blame some of this on looping Five Iron Frenzy's "Spartan". Third part should be up soon.
Questions, Comments, Crits and Love are always appreciated. Thanks for reading D
