Walking on Sunshine

Lavi and Kanda had actually taken the whole situation rather well. After finding out that their little Allen had been busy dropping his pants for a Noah and getting stabbed by a Kanda, they'd ridden the hammer ("ride the hammer, Yuu") to the nearest medical facility, where they lingered around their fallen friend's bedside like two Magic School Bus rejects.

"Cross is gonna kill you," Lavi whispered teasingly into Allen's ear.

"Stop that," Kanda said brusquely. "The moyashi's probably an actual vegetable now. Are you sure he's even alive?"

"He'll wake up, just watch." Lavi waggled his eyebrows at him merrily, and then bent back to his task. "He'll make you train until you drop, and then make you capture five walruses for him. He'll tell you to run from Malawi to Mozambique. He'll laugh while you dodge bullets, Allen…"

But the boy resting in the hospital bed didn't so much as stir. If they didn't know any better, Allen would seem to be sleeping as well as he ever did, which was as well as a tiny sociopath.

"Give up so we can go home." They'd been here for two days and three nights, at this point. Lavi refused to leave, saying he had to be there to record the first moments of wakefulness, and Kanda, despite his charming displays of apathy, remained as well.

Lavi glared at him and stepped up his game. "Allen, Cross is coming. And he's got a pile of receipts. He's quadrupled the debt, and he's going to leave them with you and run away. Allen, wake up, he's going off to buy more drinks and women – you have to catch him, Allen, you have to get up –"

Disposable sheets rustled as Allen stirred and his hands clenched into fists. Mumbling was heard in the depths of his pillow as he turned into it. A dark miasma seemed to enter the room. Lavi grinned wildly. Kanda's impassive face hid a groan.

"Kanda's coming to check on you again, Allen. He's going to check with his sword. Wake up!"

A string of extremely disgruntled syllables came from the bed.

"Wait, what? Did you hear what he said, Yuu?"

That overly cheerful voice was just asking to die. And the ache in his side plus the stiffness of all the bandages told him that his injuries had been severe. But first – "I said, 'I'll shove Mugen up his blowhole,' " Allen groused, his voice hoarse from lack of water.

He automatically accepted the glass of water Kanda handed him, drinking it before sputtering. "You stabbed me!" He cried, remembering. "You absolute misbegotten spawn of -"

"Well, that was a little slow, but it looks like you're okay now," Kanda observed astutely, brushing a few stray droplets of water off his uniform. It appeared that the designated period of disdainful concern Kanda dedicated for friends he'd assaulted had officially ended. "Let's go."

"Why the rush, Yuu? Are you saying you can't wait to get me home?" Lavi's eye twinkled suggestively, earning him an exasperated growl.

"Yes. Oh yes." Kanda replied, voice completely devoid of expression. "Now can we go?"

The rabbit with one eye smiled knowingly before turning back to Allen. "Sure you're okay?" He put his hand on Allen's shoulder, giving a simple touch with a simple meaning: solidarity. Support.

Allen exhaled, relaxing. "Yeah," he said. "I'll be fine." And he gave a small, sweet smile; the kind someone might give before they die, and pretended to fall back asleep as the two exited the room. After all, he needed to go find Tyki before Tyki found the exorcists.

To my Tyki-pon,

I know you like to play with exorcists, but don't you think keeping one in your house is a little much? If you like him so well, then you really should tell me all about him. I'm just dying to know everything. Pictures and names would be appreciated, or maybe I'll just stop by the next time I'm in the area. You know I'm out looking for you.

Signed,

The Earl of Millenium

Tyki sighed. He didn't think the Earl would appreciate knowing that he was currently co-habitating with the one exorcist who had ties to the Musician, or that he had lost him. That, and just knowing the Earl knew what he was doing in his private life was a disturbing reminder.

He picked up the next letter.

Dearest Tyki,

We want to play with Allen too. If you don't let us, we'll tell the Earl on you.

XOXO,

Cyril and Road Kamelot

He didn't even bother getting a new sheet of paper. After all, they were in the same damn city, something he really didn't need to be reminded of. He just wrote his response on the bottom of their letter and sent a Teese off with it. Messenger pigeons had nothing on his messenger butterflies.

Cyril, Road,

Get a life. And by the way, snitches get stitches.

All My Love,

Tyki

...

Darling Tyki,

I think that it's time you brought him to meet the family. We're all just dying to welcome him as part of it. I even have a spare bell that we can put on him, if you'd like. My maid found it the last time she was chasing exorcists around the countryside. She really is a devoted servant. Perhaps you should get one too.

Seriously,

Lulu

Tyki growled, crumpling the letter. This wasn't helping. At first, he'd assumed Allen had run into some people from the Order and hadn't been able to get away. He waited, patiently at first, then with growing distractedness. He'd started trying to deal with his correspondence in order to take his mind off of Allen, but his family wasn't a good choice.

Enough was enough. If his little exorcist wouldn't come to him, then Tyki would have to hunt him down personally. The problem was, he'd had enough time to be almost anywhere by now. Luckily for him, Tyki knew someone who had always been able to keep tabs on his missing lover's whereabouts.

Tossing the paper ball into the nearest wastebasket, he snagged his coat on his way out. He had a renegade General to find.