CHAPTER TRANSLATION: Just The Two Of Us
CHAPTER NOTES: I feel horrible that it's been over a month since my last update. I've been working on some other stuff, but I also couldn't figure out what I wanted to do with this chapter. However, this chapter is longer than the other three, if that makes up for my lateness any. In other news, there's official clips of the dub out now (And the dub is out too now that I think about it). Are me and my friends the only ones who think the dub is complete and utter fail? Kanda sounds like a 40 year old pedophile. And god, I hate Lavi's and Tyki's voices. Kanda's though! MIGHTY MYOOGEN UNSHEATHE! Please, kill it now. ._. Back on topic! There's some faint beginnings of Lucky in this chapter! And a mention of Sheryl. I decided this is probably going to be alternate timeline, seeing as Hoshino is like giving me no time lapse to stick it in. I like this chapter, I think. For now. I'll probably hate it later. Whatever. ENJOY!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own D. Gray Man, nor will I ever. If I did, I think Kanda's English voice would kill me more than it already does. Poor Mugen.

Lavi wasn't sure how much time had passed since he had been taken captive. That was one of the many sick quirks about Road. She didn't allow him near windows, his captive quarters didn't have any. But besides not having any windows, his room wasn't as horrible as he would have expected from the Noah. It was much like a doll-house's bedroom. The redhead hated the irony of it. There was a relatively comfortable bed, although he hardly slept in it. There was a dresser, but there wasn't anything in it that Lavi would wear in any other situations. His Exorcist uniform had long since been discarded. Inside the dresser were clothes that would suit a porcelain doll, not a teenage Exorcist.

His current outfit was horrendous in his opinion, and he figured he'd die on the spot if any of his friends saw him the way he was dressed up. It was ridiculous. The jacket was a sapphire-blue, and it looked like something a royal child would wear. The collar annoyed him to no end with the way it ruffled. The dress shoes were uncomfortable. The Bookman apprentice certainly missed his boots at this point.

Glancing down at his outfit, the redhead let out a sigh. Was this really better than being dead? Was this considered aiding the enemy, or "betraying God?" True, he was doing this to survive, but he wasn't aiding them. He hadn't given out any information about the Innocence or the Order. And he hadn't gone against his Innocence, he simply couldn't find it. Briefly, Lavi wondered if Tyki had destroyed it. After all, hadn't he almost destroyed Allen's and almost killed the younger Exorcist in the process? Thinking back on it, Lavi gritted his teeth. There was still anger in him, in the heart he wasn't supposed to have, from the journey to Edo and the time in the Ark. But he pushed the thoughts away. For now, he had to focus solely on escaping and returning to his friends, to his life.

The door to his room flew open. Standing on the other side was a lady, whom Lavi highly doubted was a human, clad in a maid's suit. When she looked up to talk to him, the black star on her forehead became apparent. He had been right, she wasn't human. Or no longer human, that is. She was another akuma, another soul bound to the Noahs until somebody like Allen came along. He shook his head. This war was truly unlike any of the forty-eight he had been through before it.

"Road-tama instructed me to come retrieve her dolly," the Akuma maid's voice called to him. It sent shivers down his spine when she spoke. The voice sounding so much like Chomesuke's that he could almost feel himself back in Edo. But her words reminded him of his current situation. Road was calling for him, which wasn't anything he was looking forward to. It wasn't that she treated him badly, most the time. But there were times when he didn't say the right thing, or didn't say anything at all, where she would snap. And Road Kamelot wasn't somebody a basic human wanted to cross. And unfortunately for Lavi, he was at the moment a basic human.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he replied, following the maid out of his room. They walked down halls covered in pictures of faces Lavi didn't recognize and tables lit by strangely scented candles. There were closed doors leading to rooms and exits he doubted he would ever see. They stopped at a door at the end of a dark hall. The maid pushed the door open and took her leave. Lavi peeked inside.

The room was empty except for black walls, a fire place, a couch and two Noahs; Tyki and Road. Seeing Road there was hardly a surprise. However, seeing Tyki both surprised him and annoyed him. After their last run-in, which judging from how many times he had fallen asleep, Lavi figured was quite some time ago, he wasn't thrilled to see the older-looking Noah. He observed the two for a moment. Tyki was sprawled out along the couch, golden eyes closed. His hands were folded behind his head, hidden under raven curls. Road was sitting on the floor in front of the couch. Her legs were splayed out in front of her, and her face was twisted in a pout. The look changed when she looked up to see her "doll" in the door way. Golden eyes sparkled chaotically, as she jumped to her feet and almost skipped over.

"Look, Tyki!" she giggled, arms clinging around Lavi's waist, "My dolly's here to play with me, since you won't." Her tongue slid out from between her lips in a childish manner, something Lavi had realized was a trait of the Noahs. A very childish trait at that.

Tyki's right eye opened, peeking sleepily at the pair. A small smirk took hold of his features. "Why so it is," grinned the Noah, "Aren't you growing tired of him though? You usually bore of toys much quicker than this. Are you still hoping that Allen kid will come to his rescue?" Road didn't reply, although she was still silently hopeful of that. "You're too fond of that boy, Road."

The girl just shrugged her shoulders, grinning at her uncle, "Oh, Tyki, you'll be in love one day!"

It was strange to Lavi how openly Road could talk about Allen, about the fact that she loved him. She had said it in the Ark too. Yet through all her love confessions, she still seemed to want to kill the boy, and everybody else for that matter. Yet, he noticed a strange sparkle in her eyes and a softness in her voice at the mentions of Allen. Almost as though she were human. But that wasn't possible, was it? He certainly couldn't see how such inhumane beings could possibly be human.

"Road, my dear, where are you?" A high pitched, although completely manly, voice called out, affection oozing from the words. It was Sheryl Kamelot, one of the Noahs whom the Bookman had yet to meet.

Tyki sat up, fingers running through long hair. "I think I hear your father calling for you, Road," he stated, leaning back on the couch once more, "Run along. I'll watch your 'doll' for you while you're gone."

Road's face scrunched as if she were thinking about it. She didn't really like to share, especially her dolls. It was almost like asking her to share her Allen! However, her father was calling, and she didn't really have time to take care of said doll. And this was her family. Maybe letting Tyki watch over him for just a few moments wouldn't be too bad. "Okay," she finally replied after a few moments of thought, "But if he acts up, just tell me and I'll kill him myself when I get back."

"Of course. Now run along."

Lavi was left standing defenselessly as the female Noah skipped off in a hurry. Had Tyki called whoever was calling for Road her father? It was another instance that made them seem human. He pushed the thoughts away, almost feeling like Allen. Allen who considered all life to be sacred. He could be terribly naïve, and Lavi just couldn't see the world the way Allen did.

"I guess that means we get to spend some quality time together then, eh, boy?" Tyki's voice was suave, almost cool enough to freeze Lavi where he was standing. "Why don't you come over here and sit?"

It wasn't an invitation the Exorcist felt like taking, but after his last run in with Tyki, he wasn't too keen on disobeying. And it was just sitting down. So grudgingly, the redhead sat on the couch, as far away from Tyki as he could manage. His body was tense, and he didn't try even bother to look in Tyki's direction. He couldn't.

The Noah, however, was not content to simply sit there on separate ends of the couch in total silence. The Exorcist didn't have to look over to notice the weight shifting on the couch, and the Noah sliding to sit next to him. He stared down at the floor, the black color making it look like you could jump off the couch and fall forever. The thought was slightly unnerving, especially considering where he had found himself entrapped. Cautiously, he tapped the floor with his foot to make sure the ground was indeed still under him.

There was an arm snaking over his shoulders that Lavi quickly pushed away. "How rude," the Noah stated, arm resting on the back of the couch. "You're so stubborn. I'm honestly surprised she hasn't broken you yet, or killed you."

Green eye looked over from underneath red locks. He had to admit that he was surprised he wasn't dead yet as well. Thinking back on it, he hadn't been the best 'doll.' Of course, the role wasn't one he wanted to fit into. Thoughts of that aside, he didn't see why the male Noah felt the need to bring it up.

"I must admit though," the Noah continued, pulling a cigarette from a package in his pocket, "I'm glad she hasn't killed you yet." He lit the cigarette and took a puff, causing Lavi to cough a bit, before he continued, "You're quite cute, boy,"

The comfort level in the room, which had already been quite low, took a dive at those words. Lavi's eye widened, and the breath hitched in his throat. He turned his head away from the male, his jaw clenched. Those were not the words he had expected, or quite wanted, to hear from the Noah, especially given their history.

"Oh, did that make you uncomfortable?" There was a cool hand pressing against Lavi's jaw. He felt his head being turned in the direction of Tyki. One emerald eye came to meet with two golden ones. "But it's true." A small chuckle followed his statement, and the Bookman shooed away the offending hand

"I have an idea," The Noah had changed the subject upon the small rejection, "Would you care to play a game, boy?"

Lavi glanced back over, a small sigh escaping his lips. "Do I really have a choice?"

"Guess not."

ENDING NOTES: Because I've seen it done ten thousand times, and because I know like nothing about the game, the game will not be Poker. Maybe it'll be Scrabble (Hah, sound familiar, my TLK buddies) or Candyland! I actually have no idea what the game should be. Any suggestions?