Disclaimer: As you can see, I own none of these characters.

"Do you want to work with me?"

Allen almost splattered the water he was drinking and some even got in his nose.

Work?

Was Lavi offering a homeless, jobless man like him a work?

He coughed as he think about the proposal of Lavi and the comfort it would bring to him. Well, if, and only if, the man was bloody serious in accepting a high school dropout like him.

"A-are you serious?"

"Well, yeah. I wouldn't dream on saying that if I were not. My boss will kill me. So... Is that a 'yes'?"

Allen's mouth trembled. "W-well, i-if it's really okay w-with you, then who am I to refuse?"

Lavi's clicked his tongue, shaking his head. "I'm giving you a choice, Allen. You don't have to say yes just because I was the one who –"

"Y-YES! I WANT THE JOB AND I WANT TO WORK WITH YOU!"

Lavi blinked, taken aback at the rather 'passionate' acceptance of the man to his offer. "W-well, that's great! I mean, you can start as soon as you can."

"Y-yes."

"However, you have to promise to obey every rule and regulation of the company."

"Of course, si – Lavi."

"And that includes living within the company's premises."

"Of cours – WHAT?"

Lavi grinned."You'll have to live within the company's premises, Allen. Company policy."

Allen was, again, lost for words.

"B-But this is the first time I encounter janitorial jobs with f-free accommodations."

Everything about Lavi and what he was saying was too good to be true.

"Janitorial job? What are you talking about?" Lavi looked confused.

And so was Allen.

"I-I thought y-you're offering me a job as a janitor in your company..."

Lavi's line marks on his forehead worsened. "WHAT?"

"You're o-offering me a job as a janito –"

"NO! Oh my God... You–you got it all wrong, man," Lavi looked really horrified, and somehow, his face was scaring Allen.

What did it mean? Was he wrong? Was he regretting offering Allen a job?

"I-I got it w-wrong?"

Bloody bollocks.

Embarrassment, shame... everything was so freaking wrong and–and Allen didn't know what negative feeling he would entertain first. They were all swirling inside him; picking his wound, adding insult to injury.

Lavi noticed this.

"No–No. Don't. Don't look like that. It's not what you–what you think. Calm down. I'll explain, alright? Breathe, Allen. It's okay."

"I-I'm breathing."

Lavi shook his head. "No. You're not. Do you know what you look like now? You look like a rotten tomato that's ready to explode. You're black and you're red. So breathe. NOW!"

Allen flinched and before he knew it, he was breathing again so fast, like he just ran a thousand mile–nonstop. He could feel his lungs crying and cursing him for shitting its job. And his heart. He couldn't remember the last time it beat so fast like that.

"When I said you've got it wrong, I meant the job description. Firstly, I am not making you a janitor, Allen. NO."

"But-but..."

"Secondly, you will work directly under me. Inside my office. Not outside my office."

"L-Lavi you don't u-understand–"

"Thirdly, I do not want my employees belittling themselves."

Allen bit his lips. "I am n-not belittling myself. I just k-know where I stand and what my capabilities and limitations are."

Damn... Allen didn't really want to cry but for some reason, his tear ducts were happily egging his eyes to give off tears. Why am I getting so emotional?

"Hey... no crying. I mean at least not when I'm around. Don't make me witness your horrible, ugly crying face–" Allen glared at Lavi – "oh, you're not crying anymore. Thank God. As I was saying," Lavi coughed. "I do not want you be a freaking janitor, alright?"

"Why not? It's a dignified job. Or are you thinking that menial jobs like cleaning are not?"

Lavi raised his eyebrow. "Stop twisting my words, kid."

"I-I just–I'm just trying to say that aside from cleaning, I'm completely worthless!"

Lavi's expression softened. He shook his head, smiling. "Of course not."

"It's true!"

"I ain't gonna believe that, Allen."

Allen bit his lips in irritation. "You don't listen to what other people say, don't you?"

Lavi grinned. "Nope."

"This conversation is so one-sided."

Lavi just shrugged his shoulders much to Allen frustration.

"I'm sorry to say but you can no longer change my decision," Lavi said with finality and Allen doubt that the red haired's mind will going to change soon.

"And I thought you were giving me here a choice," Allen muttered darkly.

Lavi sat on Allen's bed and grinned. His hand found its way to Allen's white locks and fondly patted it. "Maa, don't be so upset, Allen. I'm sure you'll be just fine," he said.

"Does that mean I really have no choice?"

"Yep."

"I don't know how to make coffee."

"EH?! Why?! Coffee is awesome!"

"'Told you I'm a total crap. Fire me now."

Lavi shook his head, his expression was sly. "Nice try, little squirt." Allen's eyes twitched upon hearing that. "You haven't started yet and you want me to fire you? Na-ah. That won't change my mind."

"Bad for you then," Allen muttered under breath. He faced the grinning face of Lavi and said, "So I guess I should thank you for hiring me, Mr. Bookman?"

"Scrap that 'Mr. Bookman' will ya? You're making me feel like I'm so old, like my old man," exclaimed Lavi, winking.

Despite himself, a small smile rose on Allen's lips. Lavi seemed like a real simpleton. I like him.

"Lavi."

The red haired grinned. "There... Doesn't it sound more... regal? I really love my name!" He was about to extend his arms to embrace the lithe white haired man when the two of them heard low mutterings near the door.

"There's a pervert in there."

"Yes, yes. A pervert."

Lavi's eyes twitched as the hushed conversation continued.

"We should alert the doctors that Allen-san's chastity is in danger."

"Yes, yes."

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, broke the camel's back," Lavi darkly muttered to himself before he spun around the door where three women clad in nurse uniforms were peeking. "CAN YOU GUYS STOP DOING THAT?!"

Hilarity ensued when one of the nurses called Lavi 'pervert' right in front of his face.

Allen merrily laughed, feeling the lightness in his chest.

Tomorrow, maybe he could start his life again.

...

Kanda lifted his head on the door when it suddenly opened.

"I thought you're gonna be missing forever, Bookman," he said, bringing his attention to his work again.

Lavi smiled sweetly at the remark and sat in front of Kanda. "I filed a five-day leave, remember?"

"I don't remember signing that."

"EHH?! But I personally gave it to you last week –"

"A certain flea bombarded my office yesterday looking for you."

Lavi stopped. "Flea?"

"Mikk."

Lavi nodded his head in understanding. "You are really creative, huh. Last time, you were calling him 'cockroach'. I wonder what's next..."

"It's all the same. He's a pest," Kanda darkly said. "Why the fuck are you smiling like that?"

Lavi inched his chair near Kanda's table making annoying, screeching sounds.

"I've got a huge favor to ask."

"The answer is no."

"Hear me out first, man!"

Kanda gave Lavi a stern gaze. "The answer is NO."

Lavi scratched his head. "But he's already coming here. I told him he could stay inside the company's premises and offered him a work in my office and–"

"'He'?"

The looked on Kanda's face was priceless. Lavi would have laughed if only the blistering anger wasn't intended for to him.

"T-the guy at the hospital, remember? I offered him a w-work here. And he's on his way now–"

"Sir?" It was the intercom. "There's man here looking for Mr. Bookman. He said he has appointment today. He said his name is –"

Lavi gulped when the dark smoke around Kanda got thicker. Seriously. How could this man get so freaking intimidating like this?! He was scary as fuck! Maybe it was wrong of him to invite Allen here. Well, he could still help him find a work and a decent home without having him witness the terrible temperament of his cousin. Yes. He would do that. He would ask his old man or even his mother to let Allen work at their house.

If only his goddamn body would move. Move, damn it!

" –Allen Walker, sir. Should I let him in?"

Kanda suddenly froze. His eyes widened and suddenly, he wasn't staring at him anymore. Well, he was, but not really. More like staring right through him.

Lavi sweat dropped.

This was really bad...

I'm so sorry, Allen! You've got to run now! Hurry!

"E-er... Kanda? I think I s-should go there and uh–just tell him you didn't approve... d-don't worry, the man will understand it. No hard feelings, man," he said, awkwardly smiling.

Kanda remained unmoving and his face looked like he had just seen a ghost.

"Kanda?"

"Sir? Are you still there?"

After a few seconds of staring at nothingness, Kanda spoke, his voice was so low;

"Allen... Walker?"

At the ground floor, Allen was seen sitting on the receiving area, clutching his old bag. A few employees smiled at him and Allen bowed his head at them and then warmly smiled back.

Everybody blushed. The women swooned over the handsome white haired stranger with a warm smile while men coughed in effort to hide their flush to their coworkers.

If only they knew that at that moment, they were all thinking the same.

tbc