(A/N): I've been updating this pretty fast lately…I've just noticed that . And that the plot isn't really…showing. Oh well. It'll get interesting pretty much after this chapter. I hope. Thanks to my friend, Moyashi, for actually giving me the ideas for some of these really weird moments in this chapter. It was his idea that this one should be more fluff…actually they're basically his…. But anyways…enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own DGM or any of its characters.
What once was
4th night: Unrequited
Allen's eyes snapped open and had to keep himself from waking Lenalee, who was still asleep upon his shoulder. 'What…was that dream?' he wondered. He looked directly ahead of him and saw that Lavi was still asleep as well, but the one next to him wasn't.
"You're awake?" Karen made it seem more like a statement than an answer. "You seemed like you were having a dream or something…you kept on saying things in your sleep."
Allen blinked and turned his full attention on her, the girl who he felt that he knew, but didn't know at all. "I was…?"
The seventeen-year old nodded slightly and looked over the boy. A soft smile appeared, and for some reason, it didn't seem to fit her personality, considering what Allen had seen during the fight with the Akuma. Her eyes had been cold back then, emotionless, almost like the eyes of a murderer. But now, as she sat in front of him, smiling that pleasant smile, he couldn't felt but feel that she was not all what she appeared to be. That smile that reminded him so much of his own; it was like she smiled even when she didn't feel like it. Was she smiling because she actually wanted to smile, or was there another reason? To smile when you're hurting, to smile so as to not worry anyone around you, to smile even if it tears you apart. That's the feeling Allen received from the seemingly warm smile emitted from his new comrade. He knew, immediately, that this girl in front of him was someone that housed a past similar to his own, though he didn't know how he knew.
"Allen?"
He blinked, not noticing that he had drifted off into his own thoughts. He smiled at her in apology, not realizing that he had given her the same feeling that she had just given him. "Sorry…did you say something?" he asked.
Once again that placid smile appeared, and she tilted her head slightly, to get a better look at him. "Why don't you go back to sleep, Allen? You look tired," she told him.
"It's fine…besides, you already stayed up--"
"Daijoubu(1)," she assured him. "Now go back to sleep. We still have another day on this train…" With a small smile and the closing of his eyes, Allen was back asleep before five minutes had even passed, his head gingerly laying against Lenalee's. It brought a sincere smile to her ruby lips and she settled back down into her own seat, making sure not to awaken Lavi. She paused for a moment, looking at him, and relaxed herself, the red-headed boy's presence seeming to give her that calming feeling right after anxiety occurs. It was strange, of course. Ever since she had joined the order years ago, Lavi had somehow always been by her side, whether she wanted him there or not. After a while, she began to grow comfortable around him, and even around his ever scowling friend, Kanda. She closed her eyes, reminiscing about the so-called good old days.
Her azure orbs opened in surprise as she felt two strong arms surround her build, holding her in a tight embrace. She looked at the owner's face, her own feeling a slight burning sensation. "Lavi…" He hadn't truly moved from his spot beside her, just that his arms were securely around his friend, his head still resting at the base of her neck and shoulder, right where the two connected. "Hana-chan…okairi(2)…I missed you…" he murmured, barely loud enough to be audible, though Karen had caught every word. The light blush on her face intensified another shade. A small, almost content smile appeared on her face and stayed there, allowing the bookman-in-training to hold onto "his flower."
A few hours passed, all four exorcists sound asleep, each with their own thoughts and dreams. The scenery passing by didn't change at all since the last one of them looked out. All around them were greenery: grass, shrubs, bushes and trees, rivers and lakes, wildlife allowing a rare view of themselves before blundering away to the safety of their homes. The soft vibrating rumble of the train allowed a comfortable sleep, undisturbed by useless clanks and noises.
It was only then that Lavi opened his eyes, slowly at first, but nonetheless opened them. At first he didn't realize where he was, but then as his eye got focused, it widened as he saw where his arms were. He was about to pull away from her, but when he saw her contented face, he just couldn't do it. Instead he pulled her closer to him, his face against the side of hers, taking in her scent, as if she truly was a flower like he called her. He closed his eyes for a while, just enjoying this moment, for when she woke up, this moment between them never happened. His smile wavered a bit. 'Karen is only annoyed by me…I'm nothing in her eyes…' Lavi shook his head and placed his ever famous smile back on his face. 'That doesn't matter,' he thought to himself, 'As long as she doesn't hate me, whatever she thinks of me is fine.'
But he knew he was just lying to himself and a forlorn expression replaced the smile. He held her closer to him, just for a moment longer. He would never be anything to her, nothing more than a friend, an annoying person who never knew how to shut up. But still, he couldn't control what he felt, not anymore. It hurt. Why? A bookman was just supposed to keep records of events that "never happened". Do not laugh. Laughter is an expression of happiness-a foreign thing. Do not cry. Tears are proof of weakness. Do not fall in love. Do not pollute yourself with such a delusion. Simply record. Rules of the Bookman. But how could he follow such idiotic and pointless rules? Is this why it hurt so much?
Lavi, who was so deep in thought, didn't notice the way Karen had unconsciously reacted to his behavior. When he held her closer, she leaned against him, though of course she knew not what her body had done. It was a reaction, just something that comes naturally when something happens.
A slight shift in movement caught the eighteen-year-old's eye. He glanced over at Allen and Lenalee and an smirk came to his lips, an ingenious plan forming in that mind of his. He debated for a while, wondering whether or not to get up from his comfortable position but in the end, the joker within him won out. Slowly he rose, gently placing Karen against the seat. It was then that he started searching through his ridiculously long coat pockets. 'A whole bus could fit in there!' he heard Karen's voice saying. A smile tugged at his lips as he remembered the memory, continuing to search for that elusive little thing.
"Lavi? What are you doing…?"
Lavi turned to see Karen's eyes looking at him curiously. Apparently she wasn't as asleep as he thought. A slight blush came at the moment of that realization, of how close he held her…he turned away, not wanting to see the pure innocence her eyes held--the innocence that never revealed themselves on a mission or in a battle. "Noooothing…" he said, turning his head back to her, a smile concealing his embarrassment. Somehow, at the back of his mind, he knew that she could see through him. Those eyes of hers seemingly saw through everything. They saw through both him and Kanda, even when they barely knew her.
It's a talent, a natural gift, that she possessed. To be able to see through the walls that many have built around their hearts and souls and break them down, not destructively, but in a calming, soothing way. Neither Lavi nor Kanda had even realized that she had broken through, she just….did. This girl, who seemed to smile at every little thing, broke through the one thing that kept everyone believing something else. That very same girl, whose eyes were the color of the ocean, became someone entirely different when facing an Akuma. Those azure orbs turned steely, and cold, even rivaling the cold glare of Kanda's. And yet, both seemingly different sets of eyes belonged to a single person: the girl who sat right next to him, whose curiosity was shown now, in those shining ocean orbs.
"Seriously, I'm not doing anything," he told her, still continuing to search his pockets. Karen cocked her head to the side slightly, blinking.
"What are you looking for?" she asked him. He gave her a grin as an answer and that grin widened as he finally found what he was looking for. His grin became bigger as he pulled out a small black golem. Without another thought, the redhead tucked the wings back so that only the 'eye' of the golem was in front.
"Johnny showed me how to do this. It's like a camera." He nudged his head toward the still sleeping exorcists and put the make shift camera in Karen's hands. Carefully, so as to not make a sound, he went over to Lenalee and Allen.
He gently moved Allen more onto his right side, making sure he didn't fall. Next he did the same to Lenalee, only he moved her more onto her left, her head just underneath Allen's chin. Taking Allen's wrist in one hand and Lenalee's in the other, he placed their arms around each other, loosely, but still securely enough to make sure they didn't slip and wake the younger teens. He tried so hard not to laugh at the sight. Lenalee was basically on Allen's lap, her head resting upon his chest, both their arms around each other. And to top it all off, they were still sound asleep…in each other's arms.
Karen blinked, and put a hand up to her mouth, trying to muffle the little bursts of laughter that were threatening to erupt. She got Lavi's idea now; she held up the camera and waited until Lavi was out of the way. Then she took a picture. Identical grins were on the older teens faces, then Lavi took the camera from Karen. He went closer to them and squatted. Karen blinked once more. What was he doing?
"AKUMA!!" Lavi yelled.
Immediately, Lenalee and Allen's eyes snapped open and were greeted by a flash of light, making them temporarily blind. Karen got her answer, and now she couldn't stop laughing; she was in her seat, holding her sides. Allen blinked, his vision coming back to him. Then he realized his …position. "L-Lenalee…"
Lenalee looked at him, then realized it as well. Blushing madly, she jumped out of his lap and glared at the red-headed exorcist doubling over in laughter. "Lavi!!" she screamed. Said boy gulped and immediately ran out of the compartment car, a very pissed Lenalee chasing after him.
Moments like these are to be cherished while they are still able to laugh, to scream, to run, to be alive.
Taking shelter within the only place possible, the boy's bathroom, Lavi could only laugh nervously as Lenalee shouted threats through the door. He couldn't believe they didn't wake up from that and snickered at the many possibilities of what he could do with the picture.
Moments to cherish, to fill whatever remaining time they have with companionship and love.
Karen and Allen continued to laugh as they heard the shouts and pounding and continued to laugh even as Lenalee burst through the door and dragged a still laughing Allen out the door, leaving Karen alone.
Only after making sure that they were far away did she stop laughing, the cheerful smile that was upon her face gone, replaced by a small, sad smile. The smile widened ever so slightly as the shouts and pounding softly came through the wall, as if everything was just someone else's problem, not her own. "You've grown so much…" she murmured, her deep azure orbs blank and distant, that sad smile still upon her face.
"Even if you don't remember me anymore…"
:::End 4th Night:::
Duuuude o.o what happened to my chap 4?! It was so messed up...I rewrote what I could remember of it, so it's not perfect but whatever.
