Good morning/afternoon/evening, all! XD how are you guys? Welcome to another chapter of this. I feel like forewarning you now: I wrote this part at the same time I wrote the first chapter, more or less (around that time- - -various other chapters will have bits of pre-written stuff as well) but my point in telling you lot is for this reason. At the beginning, I had kinda toyed with using the Disney movie song lyrics in the conversation before completely scrapping the idea as not really being worth it if I wanted my own version of the story. This was the only chapter I had written, and quite frankly I'm too lazy to go back and change the conversations to exclude the lyrics. I changed one part slightly before deciding it was a waste of time to rewrite it, so most of it has been kept as is.

Anyway, I'm sorry for those who reviewed- - -I am thankful you did, your reviews always make me smile and make my day better, so I'm sorry for not responding to you guys. My RL decided to throw a slight bitch-fit because I was ignoring it for this story and now it's like 'RAWR!' XD no anonymous reviews this time (gasp!) so I guess that leaves me with nothing else to say. XD

Read, enjoy, and don't forget to review!

Chapter 10

Tyki all but threw himself out of the bed, startling Lavi with the intensity of the man's enjoyment to be out of bed (true to his thought, Lavi couldn't see the then-faint human ghosts walking past him in the castle halls; Lulubell had commented that the red head would be unlikely to see them until he sorted out his feelings for himself). The past two days had been borderline torture for the currently-changing master; he'd never before felt freedom so close at hand, to the point of feeling it at the tips of his fingers, only to have the red head who insisted on taking the role as nurse to rip it violently away.

Tyki pulled to a stop in front of the mirror, gold eyes the only thing about him unchanged. His image showed the tall, terrifying creature he'd become; just before him stood himself, the human almost completely visible before him. His hair was longer than he normally allowed, falling in a tangled mess down his shoulders, and though he normally stood differently, his human form appeared to have taken his current standing- - -a slightly defeated posture, eyes darkening to a molten gold.

"What is it, Tyki?" Lavi placed his hand on Tyki's elbow, the highest the red head could reach without feeling awkward; Tyki watched in a strange fascination as his hand touched both arms. While the red head's touch fell around his elbow now, on his human form Lavi had his hand on his shoulder. The abrupt difference in height made Tyki exhale slowly and turn his focus on Lavi again. "Are you still not feeling well?"

"I'm fine, Lavi." The past week had brought the two of them closer than Rhode or even Lulubell could ever attempt to. Though Lavi was still unaware of the curse upon the castle, and Tyki no more aware of the boy's past than he'd been when the red head first snuck in, their conversations over Tyki's bed-ridden week brought them closer than anyone had imagined. And though Lavi couldn't see their true forms just yet, it felt as though it were only a matter of days before they became tangible, then human once again. It gave everyone a kind of high; even Kanda was scowling a bit less than usual, and lacking bite to his normal sarcastic comments.

(Though the fact that he and Allen had, apparently, made up in their twisted sense and were no longer fighting over god-knows-what might have also had something to do with it, but Tyki thought it best to keep silent; while same sex couplings in the castle were rare, the master felt it would be extremely hypocritical of him to berate the dark blue clock for having some form of relationship with the silver candle stick as he himself attempted a relationship with a young boy.)

At any rate, the unexpected excitement that had penetrated the castle was a complete turn around from the depressing resignation that had been the general feeling startled Lavi. The red head couldn't quite understand the sudden change in mood, the new energy whenever he walked by. Things around the castle had been moving faster since Tyki had woken up, and Rhode had taken to squealing any time he saw her launching herself at him as best she could- - -

It was strange, and Lavi had not been able to make anything out of it at all.

Putting it out of his mind for the moment, Lavi smiled up at Tyki, preparing to move Tyki back to his own room. As he grabbed the various things that Rhode brought, there was a sudden jolt from his stomach that had him dropping the things he picked up. Frowning slightly, Lavi turned to ask Tyki about it when a flash of brown hair caught his attention.

Confused, Lavi turned fully to see it, but it was gone; Tyki, having already stepped out of the room, leaned in again.

"Lavi, are you coming?" Lavi shook his head slightly and forced a smile as he walked after Tyki.

"Yea, I'm coming." Just outside the door, Rhode jumped, the teacup's eyes gleaning in excitement. Lavi could have sworn he saw a faint flash of long, vibrant hair before closing his eyes tightly with a sigh.

Maybe he should just relax in the library today.

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Rhode leaned forward, her violet eyes dark and searching.

"Why haven't you left yet?" She asked curiously. Lenalee and Allen moved to quiet her, both with wide eyes and crimson cheeks (the looks of surprise and discomfort were infinitely more visible on their human ghosts, though Rhode was careful to not look at them too often- - -as ecstatic as she was to see the long pigtailed hair of her favorite servant, it was insanely weird to see Lenalee twisting her hands worriedly at the same time she was a teapot, biting her lip in uncertainty), but Rhode merely moved closer to Lavi and peered up at him.

"I- - -uh, that is," Lavi scrambled for an answer for the young girl, his emerald eye moving at a frantic pace from Lenalee to the room to Allen to the window- - -anywhere but the young girl in front of him. "I m-mean, I promised..."

"But you already tried to leave." The girl pointed out innocently. "Your word isn't as good anymore. Uncle Tyki is fine now, so why are you still here?" There was no anger or hatefulness in her words- - -just the burning curiosity of a teenaged girl. Lavi sighed and looked out the window; behind him, he could hear Lenalee scolding the small teacup quietly.

"I'm not quite sure." Lavi said slowly, drawing attention to himself. "I mean, I know I was all ready to leave and never come back. I wanted to. I even planned out everything, from leaving this place to never stepping foot out of the village."

"And then Uncle Tyki saved you." Rhode said proudly, making Lavi's cheeks turn red. The girl didn't seem to notice, giggling to herself when she remembered how frantic her uncle had been to go after the boy when he left. Her human form skipped around in circles around her, her hands twisting together and her hair swinging around her face as she began humming to herself.

"Right." He muttered. Rhode giggled again and rocked forward, prompting Lavi to continue. "And I felt bad that he got hurt for me, so I decided I would stay until his wounds healed." His eye went outdoors again, where Tyki could be seen walking into the castle, a watering can held in his clawed hands, almost completely healed. Almost, but not quite- - -while Lavi smiled slightly at the sight of the huge monster crouching beside the rosebushes, he couldn't help but notice the wince that came from stretching a wound.

"Well?" Rhode said impatiently when Lavi didn't continue. The red head jumped slightly, tearing his eyes away seconds before Tyki looked up and saw him. Rhode eyed him, Lenalee muttering under her breath behind her, though watching just as closely as Rhode was. "Continue, Lavi."

"I just- - -it was- - -" Lavi sighed, leaning against the glass behind him. Rhode glanced behind her at her friends before coming closer. Her hand placed itself on Lavi's arm unthinkingly, an automatic reaction meant to comfort; she had done it so many times before, with her uncle and Lulubell, she hadn't known she'd done it until she realized her hand had sunk halfway through his arm.

"What, Lavi?" She asked softly, frowning in confusion as she slowly lifted her hand from his arm; Rhode's gaze traveled to Lavi's face as he flushed lightly, watching him for a reaction as she moved her hand on top of his again.

"Well..." Lavi glanced out the window again. "There's something in your uncle, Rhode. Something almost..." Lavi took a deep breath. "Almost kind."

"Kind." Rhode repeated, as if she had never heard the word before. Lenalee hissed at her to stop; the servant had placed her own hand on Rhode's shoulder, the warmth from the appendage faint but the force behind it very real as she tried to pull Rhode away. The Kamelot daughter scoffed lightly, the sound more disbelieving that taunting or angry, as she thought of what Lavi said while her mind raced with a reason to explain the red head's inability to feel her. Lavi continued as if she hadn't spoken.

"Something kind." He shook his head, laughing as he rubbed at his eye. "I know- - -he was horrible to me at first. So mean, and cold...and just a little- - -" Lavi cut himself off with an amused shake of his head, a soft smiling flitting across his face briefly. "I'm surprised I lasted as long as I did! Maybe that old panda was right, calling me an idiot that night when I took his place." Rhode exchanged an uneasy look with Lenalee and Allen as Lavi shook slightly. On her shoulder, Lenalee's grip tightened a bit. Allen stepped forward as well, his candle stick staying in his place, hesitatingly placing both his arms around both girls comfortingly; the sound in Lavi's voice unnerved them greatly. "I don't think I was ever cut out for something like Tyki."

"Someone!" Rhode was quick to jump in. "Someone, Lavi." Lavi looked down at her in surprise. Rhode glared at him defiantly before dropping her gaze to the ground with a sigh. Her hand went to the window, pressing firmly against the glass. She could almost feel the coolness of it against her hand; she could almost feel everything, from Lenalee and Allen's touch to the feel of the objects in the room. Why was it that Lavi couldn't feel her, and she could not touch him? "We were all human once, thank you very much. And we will be once again." Her gaze met Lavi's once more. "As such, we are still 'someone' and not 'something'. We aren't objects to be tossed about."

"Sorry." Lavi smiled at the violet teacup and she smiled back.

"It's fine." She answered quietly before hopping into his lap. Lenalee gasped, but Rhode allowed herself to sink down on Lavi, her legs melding with his own and the only thing separating them was the angle that she kept her waist bent, her forehead pressing itself against the cool window. "Keep telling me what changed about Uncle Tyki." Lavi shrugged helplessly, laughing when the teacup pouted. "Tell me, tell me!" She said, her voice beginning to turn into a whine.

"I don't know what changed." They both looked down at Tyki this time, simply watching him. Lenalee and Allen both backed away, leaving Lavi with the self-proclaimed Princess. "He's..." Lavi sighed. "He seems so unsure, it's cute," he flushed darkly at the word, grateful Lenalee and Allen couldn't see, "There's just..."

Rhode looked up at Lavi curiously, twisting around in an awkward way that should hurt but didn't, but his eyes remained glued to Tyki, studying the creature intensely.

"There's something there, something I didn't see before..." Rhode blinked, confusion and concern flickering in her eyes before she leaned closer to the window and peered down at her uncle. Lavi continued under his breath, Lenalee and Allen all but forgotten in his study of Tyki as he recalled the way he had been treated while caring for the castle's master. "I wonder why I didn't see it there before."

"I don't see anything different about my uncle." Rhode said firmly, looking back up at Lavi. He didn't seem to hear her; instead, he gazed down at Tyki with a soft, curious look, a slight smile on his face. Rhode watched him watch her uncle, a look of mixed emotions in her eyes.

She wanted desperately for Lavi to be the one to turn them all human again, because she had lied; Rhode knew better than anyone, even Lulubell, how much her uncle really had changed. She would watch as his eyes lit up whenever he saw Lavi, or as he straightened up whenever the boy entered his presence. Rhode could tell when Tyki's mind wandered to the red head, which happened quite often in the few days after their human forms had become a new part of this equation, more so than she'd like to admit, and whenever it did, she would hope and wish all the harder Lavi would help them more than he'd already been able to. Because for Lavi to end the curse and return them to normal meant something else: it would be the end of Tyki's constant affairs (even as a young child, Rhode had been all too aware of the way her uncle flitted from partner to partner for information), and the end of the loneliness Rhode was sure her uncle hid away from all of them. So while she wasn't particularly sure it was love Tyki was feeling, Rhode knew that whatever it was was far stronger than anything else he had felt before. If it wasn't love, it was fast approaching it for one Tyki Mikk.

But love ran two ways, it had to come from both parties involved, and what frightened Rhode the most was that even now, while they discussed her uncle and the changes in him, she had no idea what the red head thought when he gazed at Tyki. He had attempted to run before, and while things had been fine while Tyki lay on the brink of death, the fact that he was now up and about brought on a whole new set of tensions the castle hadn't been ready for. Rhode knew they were all waiting for Lavi to bolt again; Allen would tense when they passed the front door, his less translucent hands clenching and unclenching worriedly every single time. Lenalee would say what she wanted carefully, eyeing the boy to make sure she didn't accidentally upset him into leaving. Even Kanda was weary of him, his eyes never leaving the red head whenever he was in sight. Rhode, now that Lavi wasn't spending every waking minute with Tyki, was doing her best to put her uncle in a good light for the red head, but she didn't know Lavi as well as she did her uncle. She didn't know if his gaze was appreciative or studying, couldn't tell what ran through his mind when he lost himself in thought.

Rhode Kamelot had no clue how the red head's feelings were developing; the only proof they even existed was the flickering forms of Lenalee rushing around the kitchens, Allen placing books almost ecstatically on the shelves, Devitto and Jasdero swinging around on their perch. The entire situation was completely out of control, something that had never happened before in her life.

It terrified her.

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Below them, in the gardens, Tyki was still watering the roses diligently when Kanda came by.

"That damn idiot is making things worse here, isn't he? He's giving everyone the hope that he could finally be the one, that he could change things around here." The samurai clock asked bluntly, glaring up at the window to the library and not wasting time to get his point access. The human behind him mocked the clock, both with crossed arms and a fierce scowl Tyki could not honestly say he missed; Tyki chuckled slightly as a response, the noise simultaneously grating and harsh as well as faint, melodious and clear.

"I think it is only worse for you, Kanda, though I'm not quite sure how that's possible- - -you haven't seen Allen's true form in a year." He said, starting off humorously and turning serious as he turned slightly to face the currently taller servant. "Possibly longer; you two were fighting months before Hevlaska paid her visit, and I know for a fact that when Allen is annoyed with you, he vanishes and you don't see him. You were lucky enough to see him after the change, and even then you two were bickering constantly." The clock's ever-present scowl deepened and he looked away with a quiet 'che'. They froze in silence for a moment, Tyki kneeling on the ground with a watering can and Kanda determinedly looking away, a murderous look on his face. After a moment, Tyki leaned forward, clearing his throat and quickly bringing the situation away from Kanda's dark mood."And yes, he does seem to give off an aura of wanting to help us with our situation. However, everyone seems quite taken with the boy."

"Even you?" Kanda asked softly. Tyki froze, watering can in his hand, before placing the object on the floor. Kanda watched him critically for a few moments. "I've noticed that lately, you've been happier. You practically light up when the damn usagi's in the room, and- - -"

"It's nothing." Tyki cut across, interrupting Kanda mid-sentence. "Truly, it isn't." The clock said nothing, merely twitched the knob that held together the hands on his face until Tyki continued. "It's just..." Tyki sighed as he sat on his haunches, staring up at the sky. "He glances this way, at me sometimes. I always think I see something in it, something that wasn't there before he ran away." He tilted his head to smile at Kanda, ignoring the clock's shudder and incredulous snort. "I thought I saw something earlier." Kanda snorted again in disbelief, but a glare from Tyki had him clearing his throat by coughing into his hand.

"Are you telling me that means something?" He snapped angrily. "Pointless looks that more than likely mean nothing have had such an effect on you?" Tyki shrugged lightly, clenching his fists.

"He's touched me with wincing or shuddering." He commented lightly. "Not many can even look at me without flinching or looking away, and yet he has done neither when it comes to me." Tyki turned slightly and looked up at the towering form of Kanda Yu above him. "And you stand before me, do you not, almost human once again?"

"That's not- - -I don't- - -" The clock spluttered for a moment before a snarl came from his throat. "He touched you when you were injured on his behalf." Kanda growled out. "Anyone with half a heart wouldn't worry about what you were so long as you were bandaged properly and it was certain you would live." Tyki opened his mouth, but couldn't come up with anything to say in retaliation to Kanda's statement.

"Yea." He agreed quietly. "You're right. It can't be anything...I'll just ignore it for now." Kanda grunted in agreement. Tyki cracked his neck and leaned back again, looking up at the window to the library, where Lavi spent most, if not all, of his time. "But..." The clock glared at him wearily, and Tyki shot him a smirk. "There may just be something there, Kanda, you have to admit it."

"When Allen admits I may or may not care for him as much as he cares for me is when I'll ever agree to any such statement." Kanda bit out firmly, a bitter tone lacing his words. Tyki looked at him, only slightly surprised; Kanda scowled heavily. "Don't give me such a look. You knew it was long in coming, didn't you?"

"I suspected, yes." Tyki absently began watering again. "The way you treat him is protective, borderline possessive. He doesn't see it that way because he's blinded by his own love for you." Kanda snorted again, though he knew better than to argue with Tyki, and crossed his arms. They continued in silence for a few moments more before Kanda interrupted their silence.

"You really think he's the one?" The clock asked gruffly, cobalt eyes glancing up to the window. Tyki followed his gaze, smiling to himself.

"I do."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lavi closed his eyes, his head cushioned on his hands. He was sprawled on his bed (he'd only been here a month- - -one really, really long month- - -and he was already more comfortable in this room, on this bed, than he had ever been in any of the other places he stayed at with Bookman; he made a mental note to think over that reaction later, then remembered that that was what he was currently doing.), alone in the room.

He thought of the feeling he got that started everything: the guilt at running when he did, the one that stemmed from sneaking into Tyki's room when he knew better. Truth be told, he'd been surprised when Tyki had saved him. Lavi had expected him to either abandon him out there to die, or at least allow the red head to wander in the woods until he found his way back to Bookman once Tyki woke up again.

But the fact that Tyki had cared enough to come after him, to even worry that Lavi had run out (Rhode had told Lavi the whole freak out that had Tyki pacing the floor moments before racing after him), was what drew Lavi up short and made something funny happen to his stomach. Added to the weird feeling he got while he was trying to save Tyki, and the master of the castle had been worried about him being out in the woods alone- - -

It made him sigh, his eyes opening as confusion crossed his face.

What the heck had been going through Tyki's mind?

And the-the conversations? He had kept Tyki company to make sure his wounds didn't spontaneously start bleeding, so he could help in any way he could to make Tyki more comfortable, and each time Lavi had been pulled into a conversation that almost always ended with his face all but shoved into and hidden by the book of the hour, burning red, while Tyki laughed.

He opened his eyes with a sigh, all but glaring up at the ceiling.

If he was being truthful, Tyki's laugh always made his heart flutter...just a bit, but it happened. Lavi found himself working just that much harder on making the master of the castle laugh or smile (not consciously, he argued in his mind, but still).

(Well, it had clearly been a long time since anyone in this damn castle was happy, right? It was probably best to start at the top and work his way down, that way everyone who worked here was happy, right?

...even in his own mind, that sounded pathetic.)

Oh, Bookman. Lavi sighed quietly, closing his eyes again. If only you could see me now. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Lavi snorted quietly. Bookman had always warned him against attaching himself to- - -

Lavi threw himself upright at that, the bed bouncing slightly beneath him as he did.

It was their only real rule. They wouldn't form attachments in any town they stayed at, because they never stayed long enough to really form them. And even though Bookman thought it was stupid and foolish, Lavi kept to that by changing his name every time they left another town behind. Alex, Darryl, Jonathan, Michael- - -he'd had so many names, so many different identities, before, and he'd kept to their own code. Why was it, after nineteen years of traveling, nineteen years of doing as he was told and following Bookman's orders and teachings, he was failing as Lavi? What was it about this place? Not just the castle- - -the town in general. Because he'd been breaking the rule, and he knew, every time he had gone to hang out somewhere with Adam- - -

Adam.

Lavi rubbed at his face and half groaned, half growled at the thought of the other man. Adam was most definitely going to go to the place he had been staying at with Bookman, and Lavi had no doubts in his mind on how that was going to end. He didn't mind so much about Bookman sending Adam away; the thought that made him uneasy was the lecture he knew he would get once he was once again under Bookman's care.

Lavi lay back again slowly, blinking thoughtfully.

Back under Bookman's care. While his traveler's side all but warmed at the thought of the old man, Lavi wondered if he truly wanted what he had with Bookman before. The traveling was great, yes. Seeing new places and wonderful sights that many could only dream about excited him and had him ready to run back to Bookman as soon as he could to start adventuring once again. He had so many fond memories of so many different places, Lavi knew he could fill several books easily with just a few of his memories.

At the same time, the child in him that had shrunk over the years was coming back in a vengeance. He had managed to lock away his loneliness, convincing himself that Bookman was all he really needed for the rest of his life, that traveling was a wonderful experience he wouldn't get with everyone. And while it was true to an extent- - -he saw Rhode fuss over Tyki, and Lavi wanted something like that. He wanted someone resembling family to worry and fawn over him the way Tyki and Rhode did. Lenalee, despite being a year younger, was slowly becoming something like a sister and mother figure rolled in one, and Allen was the best friend he never had growing up. Everyone was making the selfish, childish part grow stronger and stronger; Lavi couldn't contain it any longer, couldn't help but want what he knew he shouldn't want.

It frightened him, making him unsure and feeling weak. He wasn't quite sure what to do any more, and he couldn't help but wonder if he even wanted to get away. There had been quite a few opportunities, but something had always stopped him. It's too soon, there are people everywhere, and all the other feeble excuses his mind could come up with for stating where he was. It was almost like he couldn't leave...

With an impatient, harsh exhale of breath, Lavi burrowed underneath the blanket and covered his head resolutely, determined to not think about anything again.