The boys grew up together after that.
For a while, it was a bit difficult to get any piece, or rather, any work done the way the maids were acting, but all in all, things were going a bit smoother than they were when they'd first brought Allen to the castle.
They discovered that Allen was seven years old, and they discovered that he was an orphan.
He'd lived in London and followed Mana around, as well as the traveling circus, up until the day he died.
Allen knew nothing else, other than the day Mana died, and the very last words he'd ever said to the boy.
It was a year after Mana died, that they had found him, but it was apparent to him, that year was a blank.
Lavi didn't mind not knowing; He wasn't too curious. He decided it was safe to leave well enough alone, so he did. In the mean time, the two occupied themselves with other, conspicuous means of entertainment..much to "Panda's" distaste.
Their friendship had grown allot in the past few years.
From time to time, they would sit in the garden, Lavi would show him around the castle, though Allen probably already knew where everything was, he would sit outside with him, and side by side, they would lay, gazing up at clouds or stars depending on the time of day.
They seemed content with that lifestyle for a while, no one complained. They'd even go so far as to hold hands, on occasion.
Even Panda seemed rather pleased with the way things were going between the boys..Though, Lavi wasn't quite sure..
Ah..On another note, the minute Lavi hit teenage years and still insisted on calling Bookman a Panda, he would receive just a bit of a hard lesson.
Meaning Panda beat the crap out of the rabbit, as Allen once put it.
"Stop laughing!", commanded Lavi as he rubbed his sore head.
Allen giggled, cracking a small smile as the two lied down on the soft grass, staring up at the night sky once again, "I told you to quit calling him that.."
"You used to call him a Panda all the time, where's your punishment?"
"Well, Lavi, you used the name so much..I thought his name really was Panda."
Lavi burst out laughing, "Are you serious? You thought his..Oh man, that's so rich! Wait until I-"
"Hey! It's your fault, why do you call him that, anyway?"
Lavi opened his mouth, but Allen raised a silencing hand, "Know what? I don't wanna know."
The two sat and exchanged fits of laughter.
It's been ten years since that day.
Ten years since Allen and Lavi first met, and they both remember the day well.
They still share a room..though they sleep in separate beds, as requested by the boys as they soon came of natural juvenile age.
The maids seemed a little discomforted by the fact for some odd reason, but they shrugged it off. They received their meals every morning just the same..
And just the same, Lavi would sometimes catch Allen mourning the tragedy of his fallen father, even after all these years. Allen still, sometimes, cried himself to sleep.
Just what kind of relationship did these boys have, Lavi wondered.
He desperately wanted to ask him..were they friends? Good friends, brothers, best friends? He wasn't sure..
Was this how friends normally acted? Were they ever this close?
Well, in fear of dropping a difficult question out of the blue, he kept his mouth shut, and it worked. Allen never suspected a thing and he intended to keep it that way..
"Hey Lavi."
"Yeah?"
"Do you think other people act this way?"
Lavi hummed curiously, "Act what way?"
"You know..", he sighed, turning over on his stomach, cradling his head within his arms, "The way we do.."
"The way we do? ...I'm not sure. I..I guess so. We are friends, right?"
"R-Right!", smiled Allen, "We're great friends..I just..I never really expected this, so it's a little surprising.."
Lavi nodded, "I never expected it either..I'm an only child, you know..I never really saw any other kids.."
"Sorry to hear that."
"Why are you sorry?", chuckled Lavi, "If anything, I should feel sorry. I'm complaining about this after all that crap you've gone through? No way, dude, and if I bring it up again, you have the right to knock some sense into me-Ow! What was that for?"
Allen laughed, smiling wide as his friend cradled his injured head.
"I didn't mean to hurt you, Lavi!", he apologized through his laughter, "I meant to be..gentler?"
"Sure.", huffed Lavi as he turned over, "Sure you did, Allen."
"I did!", he insisted, still chuckling, "Don't be that way, Lavi.."
"It's too late now. I have half a mind to get up, walk inside, and finish the last of the leftovers.."
"...We have leftovers?"
"...Maybe we do, and maybe we don't.."
The two exchanged serious faces. This meant war.
However, Lavi was a step ahead.
Just as Allen was about to pounce, Lavi made the first move, tackling and pinning Allen to the grassy ground, with both wrists high above his head.
In his fit of laughter, he barely paid any attention to the suggestive position they were in, enjoying himself as he watched an annoyed Allen struggle to break free.
"This isn't funny Lavi! Get off me!"
"No way, you started it!"
"Lavi, this isn't fair!"
"Life isn't fair, Allen!"
"What are you two doing?"
The two looked up at the approaching footsteps, which just happened to belong to a bemused Bookman.
"..We're wrestling."
"Lavi is winning."
The old man sighed and rubbed his temples, "I see..Well, when you're done fooling around, I need to speak to you, Lavi..Alone."
"Alone?", whispered Lavi, "Why alone?"
"Just, meet me in the throne room when you're done with..whatever you're doing."
He never spared Allen a second glance, merely turning back toward the castle.
Then and only then did Lavi truly realize this position may just be..maybe just a little conspicuous.
"Lavi?"
"Yeah, Allen?"
"..Can you get off?"
"...Sure thing, pal!"
With that, Lavi released Allen's wrists and no sooner than that, he was thrown off.
"So what do you think that was about?"
"No clue..", sighed Lavi, "But there's only one way to find out, right?"
"I guess so.."
Allen watched as Lavi rose, giving his friend a questioning look.
"What is it?"
"You're staring at me."
"Of course I'm staring at you, I'm waiting for you!"
"Waiting for me?"
"You're coming too, aren't you?"
"Weren't you listening? He said he wants to speak to you alone."
"So? Just..find a hiding spot, what you know wont kill you, right?"
"Well..I don't know, Lavi, I think I'll just go to bed.."
"Come on, Allen! It'll be fine. There's nothing I know that you can't."
"... I guess you're...", he hesitated as Lavi made a few strange gestures, signalling Allen to finish his sentence, "I..I guess you're right?"
As if he'd won a prize, Lavi cheered, "Good boy! We have a winner.."
Allen merely rolled his eyes as he allowed Lavi to help him up.
Reluctantly, he followed his idiot friend back to the castle, quickly ducking behind a wall upon reaching the throne room.
"Good, Lavi.", Bookman began, patting the seat next to him, "You're here."
Lavi nodded, "What is it that you needed Pand-Ow!"
"I told you to stop calling me Panda.", he sighed as the prince rubbed his dented skull, "Now I didn't call you hear to pick on you, so listen good. I'm only saying this once, understood?"
The prince sighed, but nodded again.
"As you know, in less than a month from now, you will be turning eighteen."
Lavi's eyes lit up, "That reminds me! Winter is coming up soon, right? That means Allen's birthday is right around the-"
"Let me finish. I know you're excited but this isn't about Allen, this is about you. Since you've reached the legal age, things will be getting a bit hectic from now on. Do you understand?"
"Hectic? What do you mean?"
"Hectic as in, now that you're an adult, women will begin to recognize you as a handsome, young, wealthy man with the capability of turning anyone of them into an equally wealthy princess. Are you following?"
Lavi shrugged, "Yeah, I get it, but what's so wrong with that? I'll just have girls all over me all the time..It's no big deal."
"It is a big deal! Should you marry the wrong woman, our kingdom could fall into the wrong hands. One false move and we're both overthrown.."
"Problem solved, I just wont marry!"
"Yes, that was the original intention, but marriage isn't what I'm most concerned with right now. You need to prepare for your coronation and we have no time for any distractions whatsoever."
"I still don't understand why you called me here. You're basically repeating everything we've been going over for the past seventeen-no, eighteen years!"
"I'm saying this because I know how close you've grown to Allen. We've raised you both like brothers and I know you've grown attached to the boy."
"...I guess so.", he shrugged, leaning lazily on one elbow, "But that doesn't make a difference. Allen has nothing to do-"
"Let me finish, Lavi..", Bookman sighed, "Your coronation will essentially take about three months to prepare, if it's done right. If we rushed through the ceremony, in a vain effort to avoid any possible disruptions, everything should be ready exactly four weeks from today. Now, this is a very crucial time, therefore we can't have any distractions-"
"And?"
"And, I think it's best you find Allen, and.."
"And what?"
"I've prepared money for his trip. I think it's about time that Allen started living on his own."
"W-What?"
"You heard me, Lav-"
"No way!", he yelled, "I wont let you kick Allen out! You can't do that..Where else is he going to go, old man?!"
"I told you Lavi, that's up to you, now. You didn't really believe we would keep him forever, did you..?"
"I-"
What was Lavi thinking?
Of course..He should have known. There's no possible way they could keep Allen..He's not a pet.
Had Lavi ever even considered that? Was he just planning on sheltering Allen until the day he died?
"What is it, Lavi?"
"N-Nothing..", he sighed, ignoring the slight twitch in his eye, "I just..I need some time to think, alright?"
Bookman nodded, "In that case, take your time..but this is inevitable, Lavi."
"Inevitable..", he whispered, "Got it."
Allen had overheard a good chunk of that, up until a damn maid caught him and dragged him down to the kitchen!
Not only had the king notified all other servants to keep an eye out for any eavesdroppers, apparently, but he'd also been sentenced to kitchen duty for the night as punishment..
To make matters worse, the nurses wouldn't stop pinching his cheeks!
How was he supposed to get any work done with these women constantly grabbing him, hugging him, kissing him, and fawning over his every move? Was this how they treated all of their kings?
..He wasn't even close to being a king, what gives!"
"Hey Allen-"
And of course, Lavi had stumbled in on a rather..interesting sight.
Allen found himself backed up against the kitchen table, both hands covering his face as servants and maid alike began inspecting every visible aspect of his body. It wasn't until one began tugging on his clothes that Lavi had decided to put a stop to it.
"G-Gramps wants to know where Dinner is!"
Apparently, it didn't take much to scare, swarm, and scatter these women in several different directions.
"H-Hi Lavi.", sheepishly greeted Allen, "How's it going?"
"...How much of our conversation did you hear, Allen?"
"How much?"
Lavi nodded.
"...Not much, sorry. One of the maid's caught me right after Bookman mentioned your eighteenth."
"Oh.", Lavi shrugged.
So Allen doesn't know? He has no idea? Is there still a chance to save this?
"So, Allen.."
Allen hummed, "Yeah?"
"...How would you feel, hypothetically, let's say..If someone were to offer you a place to stay, with enough money to help you get by for say..a couple years? Would you take it?"
Allen shrugged, "I don't know..I've never thought about that."
Thank god, Lavi wasn't the only one!
"So..You wouldn't leave, right?"
"...Would you want me to leave?"
"N-No!", he shouted a little louder than he would've liked to.
Allen stood there with a blank expression, despite Lavi's inner wishes. Please, say something!"
"So..You wouldn't want me to leave?"
Lavi gingerly rubbed the back of his head, "I..I guess not. After all, you're the kingdom's beansprout!"
"Very funny.", Allen sighed, rolling his eyes, "Now what did you need, Lavi?"
"I..I..Gramps said..He told me..to..get ready for dinner."
"Really? He called you just to tell you..to get ready for dinner?"
"...Yes?"
"Well..I guess.", he sighed, "I'm going to eat alone tonight, though. Sorry, Lavi?"
"Alone? Why alone?"
"No..No real reason.", he chuckled.
"...I guess, but we'll miss you at dinner!"
Allen waved him off as he walked away, out of Lavi's line of sight.
"What was that about?", wondered Allen, "What exactly was he hinting at?"
A million thoughts and one raced through Allen's mind, circulating over and over, until he'd finally had enough.
Each thought basically read the same thing:
He doesn't want you anymore.
He doesn't need you anymore.
You've become a real nuisance.
And plenty more.
So, Allen merely waited till dinner.
He informed the maid that he was going out for a stroll, and he would return in little more than a half hour.
That was three weeks ago.
I have such a headache, ow ow ow ouch, it hurts. Anyway, the story is probably littered with mistakes and all that at the moment, and that's why. I hate headaches.
