Disclaimer – DGM belongs to Katsura Hoshino

haha I'm such a liar...sorry everyone. Cheers to this chapter! Santa Claus is coming to town~

Note: Let's all pray for Hoshino's health. So she can get better and continue -man and also stay fit and well! This one's for her!

Please note I did not attempt to copy or plagiarise in any way. Be warned of OoCness, I try my best!

"You know something..." Iori sighed.

"What?" Lavi asked.

"Why do I get the feeling baldy keeps staring at me..."

He looked beside him, where Bookman frowned dissaprovingly. Lavi hesitated to answer, he knew exactly why the old panda was acting very strangely lately. Bookman was afraid of this developing relationship between the exorcist and the successor. A Bookman wasn't meant to develop such feelings for others, but it just seemed to glide right through him. He couldn't help it since Iori had been following him day after day ever since their meeting. It just happened to be a mutual attraction, but a difficult one. Wondering through his thoughts, he was suddenly interrupted by a warm touch to his arm. He flinched and stared at the petite hand grabbing his sleeve.

"What?" She cocked an eyebrow.

"Nothing..." He grinned.

Suddenly he felt a painful tug on his ear and a choking grip on his collar.

"You idiot, what do you think you're doing?" Bookman snapped.

"W-What?" He blinked, rubbing his sore ear.

"You're the successor to Bookman, there should be no feelings for her, let alone an exorcist. She's just history, you remember that!"

"I wasn't hitting on her or anything..." Lavi muttered.

"Lies" Bookman whacked him hard on the back of his head.

Lavi frowned, then straightened himself up. Iori placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned in between the two, "Are you talking about me?"

He twitched, "N-no nothing..."

A hard cold glanced was once more shot at Lavi by the panda eyes. He grimaced, then edged away from her, "I need to err..."

"Go to the bathroom" Bookman finished.

"Yeah that's right" Lavi quickly ran off, leaving her behind.

There was silence for a moment as her glaring eyes turned to Bookman. He shuddered as she released him and ran off into the distance to avoid her. She stood there alone, expressionless, then walked towards the mens bathroom to pursue the red head.

Meanwhile, on a large ship where the two exorcists were boarding, Allen was staring out at the wide ocean as it rocked slowly. Timcanpy was having the time of his life out on the fresh air as he flew around.

"Allen" Lenalee spoke.

He turned around, "Yeah?"

"Do you think Iori-chan likes Lavi?"

"Uhh..maybe" He sweated. He never really had any experience with romantic relationships or love interests before the little development with Lenalee. He turned to her, "Why?"

"Because yesterday she admitted it" Lenalee grimaced.

"Is that so...?" Allen looked at her, amused.

Flashback

"Have things settled between you two?" Iori asked.

"Yeah" Lenalee replied, smiling.

"Are you both officially an 'item' now?" She asked without much enthusiasm.

"Ehh...n-no we're just close friends!"

"Ara...I thought you liked hi--"

"What about you Iori-chan? Are you interested in anyone" Lenalee flashed an intimidating smile, avoiding the subject.

"Of course I do" Iori replied without hesitation.

"What!? Who is it?"

"Lavi" She replied with a straight-forward answer.

"Really!?" Lenalee leaned forward, determined for more details.

"Wasn't it obvious?" Iori leaned back.

"No...not really"

"That's good"

"Why not confess to him?"

"Because If I did try it would be useless" Iori looked away, "A Bookman is a Bookman"

Lenalee pouted and looked at her angrily, "Iori-chan..."

End of Flashback

"She said that?" Allen asked.

"Without any hesitation" Lenalee sighed.

She slumped down and hugged her knees, leaning her head back. The wind blew softly against her dark hair, flickering around in a mess. Allen knelt down and brushed the strands away from her face and tucked them behind her left ear. The feeling was almost like caressing. Her face turned hot as the blood swarmed around her face. The only difference from all the other times he had been so intimate with her, was that he was blushing slightly and turning his face away in embarrassment.

"Don't look so upset" He smiled awkwardly.

At that moment, she couldn't help but hold his face and draw him in. It was just too tempting, and the mood was building. He gazed at her for a long moment, eye to eye.

"VIP or not, if you're going to do something get a room. I don't want a mess on the floor!" A sailor yelled.

"N-No I wasn't about to--" Allen stuttered.

"Why is their always an interruption...?" Lenalee mumbled.

Iori had been waiting for almost an hour. And the only reason she hadn't moved was because she had fallen asleep half the time. Every male that had entered and exited the bathrooms had stared at her oddly and mistook her for a pervert. She rested her forehead against her knees and continued to wait patiently.

Meanwhile on the upper floor, Lavi had been watching her the whole time, hoping she would give up this pointless waiting. With his face full of guilt, he turned around completely stressed out, "AHH! What should I do...?"

He gasped, and covered his loud mouth quickly. His eyes turned to the very side, afraid of what was about to come. Iori was looking straight up, directly up at him. He turned around and waved awkwardly at her. She let out a soft chuckle, then stood up. He flinched in fear.

"I get it..." She muttered, then walked off out of sight.

Guilt spread all over his body. He grimaced, and tapped fingers restlessly against the wall. Damn me and my big mouth...

"Iori!" He yelled, his voice echoing the building.

He jumped down, over the fence, landing safely on the lower floor and ran after her quickly. It wasn't long until he saw the familiar slick brown hair. He grabbed her right shoulder and turned her around.

"What?" She asked, a cold wind following her tone.

He froze, a little scared, "Uhh..."

She glared a him for a moment, then brushed his hand away walking off again.

"Sorry...for making you wait there" He apologised awkwardly.

She stopped abruptly like a sculpture. She was like that for atleast five minutes.

"Io-chan?" Lavi called, placing his hand on her shoulder.

She slapped it and turned her face to him. She was frowning, but not in anger, but absolute pain, "Don't touch me"

"I-Iori...?" Lavi blinked.

"I'd rather die...than have your filthy hands touch me" She spat.

"What's wrong Iori?"

"It hurt" She yelled suddenly.

There was a long silence after that. Twenty minutes maybe, or thirty. Miranda had spotted them standing in the middle of the hallway and decided to greet her fellow friends, but as she came near them and realised the dark, gloomy atmosphere she stooped, "L-Lavi? Iori?"

"Che" Iori spat, then quickly walked off.

Christmas is near. Happy holidays everyone!

Pre... "You suck at lying"

-NekoiixX