And the next chapter is finally here!
Thank you to everyone who reviewed and favourited, as always it is greatly appreciated and makes my day that wee bit brighter!
Kanda was a figure of authority. He brought fear to everyone he met. Therefore, he always felt that sneaking around or hiding from anyone, or indeed anything, was below him. So, how was it that sneaking and hiding was precisely what he was doing at that exact moment? The answer was pure and simple; Lavi. Thus he had swallowed his pride and in the early hours of the morning, two days after he had made his promise to bring the boy home, he was creeping stealthily through the Dark Orders corridors towards Komui's office to look for any clues to where he might have gone.
The tall windows to his right showed that it was still dark outside, rain beating against the glass with millions of invisible fists, the wind howling and rattling the panes to be let inside. The only source of light along the empty passageway were a few flickering gas lamps on the wall, the glass that encased the flames were dirty and smudged from the heat. There was no sound as his rubber soles silently padded their way over the stone flagged floor.
He rounded the last corner to his goal in time to see Allen bend down in front of the office door, pull something out of his pocket and insert it into the keyhole.
"And what do you think you're doing?" he asked. Allen jerked forward in surprise, smacking his head against the door as Kanda emerged from the shadows he'd been concealing himself in.
Scowling and rubbing his forehead, he began to jiggle the pin again. "I don't care what Komui and Lenalee say, I wish to know what's going on with Lavi." Growling, he gave the lock another vicious stab. "Any particular reason you wondered over this way as well?"
Kanda shrugged nonchalantly, "same reason."
"Oh," the silver haired boy murmured softly, "cold- as-ice Kanda caring about something other than his toy sword?" He was spared the samurai's biting retort as the lock gave a satisfying click and he gently pushed the door open with a soft creak. "Right," he started, pocketing the small pin. "I'll go in and have a look around; you stay here and watch for anyone coming."
He made to enter the room but was stopped short as Kanda grabbed the back of his collar and hauled him back out.
"Not a chance," the ebony haired boy growled. "I'll go in while you keep an eye out."
"What? No way!" the younger boy exclaimed.
"You'll miss something important or do something stupid, bean sprout" Kanda growled between clenched teeth struggling to pull the smaller boy out of the way who thrashed about in an attempt to throw Kanda off.
"How about you both go in and I'll keep an eye out?" a feminine voice questioned behind them.
Allen started forward for the second time that day in shock, breathing a sigh of relief when he was met with the sight of a faintly bemused Lenalee, her hands planted firmly on her hips as she peered at them through the gloom.
"Lena, why are you here?" he asked.
"I know I said we shouldn't worry, but I can't help it. Brother always tells me when something is going on, so it concerns me that he didn't this time." Her eyes welled with tears and she clutched at Allen's arm. "I just want to know if my friend's ok!" Allen placed an arm gently around her shoulders, pulling her close to comfort her. Lenalee sniffled quietly before finding her strength again and pulling herself away. "You should get going goodness knows how long it will take you both to get through Brothers notes." She shoved them with more force than necessary into the room before taking up her post at the door.
Kanda and Allen stood silently together, the daunting size of the task at hand making itself known. The room was vast, piled high with stacks of paper both on the floor and littering Komui's desk seemingly in no specific order. Drawers and filing cabinets were packed fit too burst with maps, rolls of browning parchment, deadly boring looking documents, books with red and gold gilded binding, coffee mugs and scraps with doodles up the side. All in all it was a mess and looked like there had been a paper fight recently.
Kanda glared around the room as though the very sight offended him and he silently cursed Komui for all he was worth. "I'll look over here," he grunted leaving Allen to search somewhere else. He riffled through the letters on Komui's desk, pushing aside sheets of non-sensical data, numerical figures and strange languages. In some deep recess in the corner he could hear Allen attacking one of the perilous towers of manila envelopes. Kanda bent down where he was and tried prying open a drawer but it was locked and remained tightly shut even when brute force was applied.
Swallowing his pride he yelled "Bean sprout, over here, now!"
Allen stood up abruptly to give his usual retort of "it's ALLEN" knocking over a tall pile of documents as he did so. They fell on him with a mighty crash and Lenalee popped her around the door to voice her concern.
"Ignore him, Lenalee," Kanda said snidely. "He's just been his usual baka. Stop messing around and open this drawer."
"I'm not a baka," Allen replied weakly, pushing the mound of paper off him and struggling to his feet, grasping his head in one hand.
He approached the desk pulling out his trusty pin, thanking kami-sama that he had learnt to pick locks when he had been with his Master. He eyed it critically before starting into his task. It opened in just a few seconds and he wrenched it open. He stopped in surprise. Lavi's hammer and old Bookman's heaven compass lay inside. He lifted them out gently, dislodging a reminder note that read; 'return to Hevlaska.' Allen and Kanda looked at each other. This did not bode well.
Underneath the two Innocence was an envelope made from heavy ivory parchment and contained Bookmen's miniscule, neat cursive addressed to Komui on it. Allen raised an eyebrow at Kanda questioningly who rolled his own almond shaped ones in exasperation before giving a curt nod. Licking his lips he slowly eased open the flap and pulled out more of the thick parchment, smoothing it out as Kanda bent over his shoulder and together they read it in silence.
There was a heavy pause once they'd finished.
"I can't believe they joined the Noah's." Allen whispered furiously. "Why did Komui allow that?"
Kanda didn't reply. He was more bothered by the fact that Bookman had seen him and the rest of the exorcists as a threat to Lavi's career and that they were the reason why Bookman had moved the red head. He read over the note again. It didn't seem as though Lavi had had much of a choice when leaving. Would he rather have stayed with the Black Order? With Kanda? He had to find out he thought as Lenalee appeared suddenly looking agitated and wringing her hands together, franticly whispering that someone was coming and they had to leave. He replaced everything back in the drawer not really caring if Komui realised that it wasn't locked anymore. He had to find Lavi, but how?
Lavi was in a world of pain, sharp stabs flowed up his spine, along his arms and to the tips of his fingers. He tried to move them to rid himself of the stinging sensation but his body lay immobile. He felt like there was a lightning storm inside his head, each flicker of light behind his closed eyelids bringing another wave of dull pain, rolling over him like an angry roaring sea, but through the midst of his swirling mind he managed to string a coherent sentence to himself.
'It hurts...It hurts...why won't it stop? Please, make it stop.'
After several minutes of moaning piteously to himself, his mind seemed to have had enough.
'Yes, I know it hurts obviously I can feel that. But pain can also be a good thing.'
'How?' he asked himself.
'Because it means you're not dead.'
Lavi pondered this for a few seconds. 'Yes,' he conceded. 'You're right that is a positive aspect.'
'I know I'm right, I always am. Now quit complaining and do something constructive.'
In Lavi's mind eye he saw himself pouting into a mirror that was suspended in the dark recess of his subconscious. How it was just hanging in mid-air with no support he wasn't sure. His image glared at him before turning his back on him defiantly. He couldn't quite help but feel that his reflection was being wholly unfair. After all, it wasn't every day that one found himself in his own mind yet able to register their real body that was unable to move and instead only catalogue a magnitude of pain and discomfort. He thought in all comparison he was coping very well.
He walked a few times around the mirror inspecting it. It wasn't a large mirror, it only showed him from the waist upwards, nor was it extremely grand being but a single plain pane of reflective silver that had not a frame or design on it. What was interesting, however, was the fact that it was reflective on both sides and was so incredibly thin that if one stood facing directly to see its side
it would appear that nothing was hung there at all. Although he knew that there was nothing else there, Lavi couldn't help but wave a hand underneath and above it, earning a scornful laugh from the manifestation within the glass.
'If that's what you call productive then I don't know what I'll do with you,' his double said, leaning languidly against the side of the mirror and watching Lavi who continued to circle him.
Lavi stopped short in his pacing and stared at his reflection suspiciously. 'What do you mean by that?'
The image shrugged unconcerned by the look Lavi was shooting at him. 'Never mind that, just that we'll be getting to know each other a lot better over time.' He grinned broadly, though it brought a shiver to Lavi, and his eyes glinted in the semi-darkness. 'Anyway, as I was saying about being constructive, how about trying to wake up?'
Lavi wasn't entirely consoled by what the other had said, but decided that following his advice was certainly better that wondering around here in confusion. He closed his eyes, breathing slowly and deeply as he concentrated on his real self above him allowing the pain to wash over him once more.
A single eye cracked open to the glare of light, forcing a groan of pain and disorientation from its owner. Lavi sat up gingerly, gripping his head tightly in his hands as though he was afraid it would fall off without the support, his eye slowly adjusting to the brightness.
He was in a simple, clean room which had the smell of cheap air-freshener that didn't quite disguise the lingering disinfection stink of sodium hypochlorite. The floor and ceiling was made up of small, square white tiles. The walls were scrubbed white, the curtains hung stiff and white and the inadequately thin linen that covered him was heavily starched and white. There was no clock, no pictures, nothing. Just a glass of water on the window-sill and a small mirror that hung eye level on the wall at the end of his bed. He eyed it wearily, relief flooding him when nothing out the ordinary happened.
It was only as he gulped down mouthfuls of the refreshing water did it dawn on him how lonely he felt. At times like this in the Order, someone would be by his side waiting for him to wake up in the sanatorium or he would often find himself tracking the familiar route subconsciously to Yu's room where the Japanese boy's silent and constant presence soothed him and relieved him of all forlorn and tiresome thoughts.
Although Kanda probably didn't know it, Lavi was eternally grateful to the boy. Kanda was his
rock, unyielding and never changing. With his rough exterior it was easier for Lavi to turn to him as his uncaring attitude meant that he'd never intrude upon Lavi's thoughts or troubles even if he had started to become more gentle towards him throughout the years. Kanda understood that Lavi had to overcome his problems by himself, whereas if he turned to the likes of Lenalee or Allen they would immediately start questioning and harassing him to let them help him out.
And just as he turned to Kanda, Kanda had turned to Lavi as well when he felt out of it. They had come to know each other well and learn what would be tolerated and when. Lavi knew that when Kanda was stressed he'd be allowed to rub his fingers over the boy's scalp and through his silky long hair like a cat, helping the boy relax, just like Kanda could sense that when Lavi's mask was cracking and he wanted to cry that a simple touch on the arm would help bring him new resolve and strength.
But Kanda was not here. He could not seek comfort from him any longer.
Lavi gulped down the lump that had been building in his throat as tears pricked at his eyes. 'Get a grip,' he told himself firmly, drawing his knees to his chest and burrowing his face into his arms as he breathed deeply to calm himself.
The next thing he knew there was a sudden commotion at his door. It swung open, hitting the wall with force before bouncing back. Then he was being scooped into a pair of strong arms, his face pressed against a warm, broad chest as he was rocked gently back and forth, a soft voice whispering in his ear.
"It's ok. You're not alone, I'm here now. I'm sorry I wasn't here for you when you woke up. There's no need to cry."
"I'm not crying," Lavi said, peering up into the face of Tyki Mikk.
"Oh," Tyki said surprised as he got a better look at Lavi's face and eye. "So you're not."
"You can let go of me now," Lavi pointed out. Whilst sitting on Tyki's lap certainly felt very nice he wasn't used to being in such close proximity with anyone, especially not in such an intimate position and he felt a little uncomfortable.
"Sorry, can't do that," Tyki said, nuzzling his cheek into Lavi's neck. "You're in a highly emotional state right now. It would be wrong of me to not ease you of your stress." He turned his face slightly until his lips were grazing Lavi's throat and started laying soft fluttering kisses up and down it.
Lavi blushed madly, desperately trying to ignore the strange reactions happening to his body and the fact that it really, really seemed to like what Tyki was doing. He pulled his T-shirt down slightly to hide the evidence that Tyki's affection to his neck and the hand that was slowly rubbing circles on his back and side were giving him a slight hard on. Grabbing the hand to stop its motions he swallowed and searched for something to get his mind away from his little problem.
"What happened, where's Jiji?"
Tyki huffed slightly pulling away. "Bookman is fine, although the Dark Matter didn't accept him. Obviously we'll have to check into that, we can't understand why he couldn't control it when he was an acceptor for Innocence."
Lavi nodded thoughtfully, filing this bit of information away for further analysis later. "And me?"
Tyki sighed, touching his lips briefly to the side of Lavi's head. "You went into cardiac arrest moments after you were injected. You've been unconscious for the last three days, we weren't sure if you were going to make it." The last part was barely a whisper but Lavi caught it, his heart missing a beat at the realisation of how close to death he might have been. Tyki pulled him closer, tightening his arms around the slighter boy and burying his face into the crook of Lavi's neck who in turn patted the older man's head reassuringly.
"It's ok," Lavi muttered, embarrassed by the sudden display of emotion caused because of him. "I'm still here."
"You must still be exhausted," Tyki pulled back gently. "I should let you rest."
Lavi glanced around the cold sterile room and shuddered slightly at the thought of having to stay in such a place." Can't I go to my own room?" he asked. "I don't like it here."
Tyki regarded him carefully before nodding. "I don't see why that should be a problem. You'll get better sooner if you're in an environment you're more comfortable with."
He helped Lavi out of bed and into his ordinary clothes, insisting to the younger boy that doing it himself would tier him out. He knelt down to do the zipper and the button on Lavi's trousers up, his hand pressing longer and harder than necessary on his crotch, which to Lavi's immense relief was no longer stiff.
Wrapping an arm around Lavi's shoulders, Tyki escorted them through the corridors and then roads and eventually out of the Ark and into the mansions gardens. The sky was ablaze with fire from the setting sun; pink, red and orange washed across the sky and beyond the horizon where the moon was making its appearance, full, fat and silver. Shadows on the ground stretched longer as each second passed and the sun sunk lower and lower as though its' weight was too great to bare. Everything in the garden was bathed in molten gold, frozen in perfection.
Lavi sighed happily. It truly was beautiful and he was thankful to be alive to see it.
I wish Kanda was here too.
Lavi frowned at the thought but was distracted by a warm hand settling gently on his cheek and he turned his head to see Tyki looking lustfully at him from hungry yellow eyes. The long strong fingers left his cheek, instead grasping his chin between finger and thumb as a look of determination passed over the Portuguese man's face and his lips descended on Lavi's.
Tyki's lips were slightly rough but the kiss was sweet and pleasurable. Lavi's eye fluttered shut as the initial shock disappeared. A warm sensation spread throughout his body, coiling in his stomach and settling there. He reached his delicate arms around Tyki's neck, drawing him closer and deepening the kiss. One of Tyki's hands found the small of Lavi's back, drawing him closer still, moulding their bodies together. The other strayed onto the fiery boy's ass, caressing and squeezing the round buttocks. He smiled to himself as he felt Lavi going stiff through his trousers poking the inside of Tyki's thigh as his own cock started to swell. He ground his hips hard against the smaller boys' and a moan escaped Lavi's mouth exciting Tyki further. His hand left Lavi's buttocks and he slipped it between their bodied, finally cupping Lavi's member as it strained against the trousers which held it prisoner and he gave it a firm grope.
Lavi gasped in shock, breaking the kiss and moving back from Tyki's embrace. He pulled his T-shirt lower in embarrassment, blushing and flushed from the kiss, panting in some much needed air through slightly parted and bruised lips. He looked so awkward and vulnerable standing there with his single emerald eye downcast refusing to meet Tyki's own that it made Tyki want him all the more. But he restrained himself, telling himself that they'd both had enough fun for one night and that more excitement was sure to come their way soon.
Once again he placed an arm around the now trembling boy, although he wasn't sure if the trembling was from fear, confusion, excitement or a combination of all three. Swiftly they entered the house together and made the short trek to Lavi's bedroom. Tyki held the door open for Lavi who walked slowly past him, kicking off his shoes as he did so and collapsing under the quilt.
He lay on one side, knees drawn up to his chest and his hands curled up and tucked beneath his chin. The picture of innocence. Tyki watched him for a few minutes before turning to leave, but a hand smaller than his reached out and grasped his own. He looked back to see Lavi looking directly into his eyes before the boy let his gaze fall.
"Lavi?" Tyki questioned.
"Please," he whispered. "Don't leave me alone tonight."
Tyki blinked, surprised. Perhaps the shock from the past few days and finally caught up to him. He nodded, removi
ng his own shoes and slipping under the covers with Lavi, snuggling up to him and pulling the shy boy into a safe embrace. He stroked the red heads fiery locks until he heard Lavi's breathing even out and then he too went to sleep.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
I have a few ideas about Lavi's double in the mirror and what his new powers will be, but if anyone else has any ideas feel free to let me know. If i get a good response and I choose one use I will let the person pick a prize of some sort of it within my power.
I was at the London Anime Con last weekend...it was awesome! I went with a friend and it was the first one we'd ever been to. She went as Haruhi Suzumiya and I was Ran-Mao form Demon Butler. I hope to go another one soon and hopefully I'll cosplay as Lavi and she'll go as Kanda. I really hope this small dream of mine will come true. Was anyone else there? (videos will be going up on You Tube)