Author's Thanks: Dreaming-Of-A-Nightmare, Aion Laven Walker, MitarashiiDango, -Aeius-, fotoshop-cutout, Tsumi no Curse, glon morski, twilightserius, I'm Defective, Karoomy-chan, Chiaki Saruwatari, XxChocoMelloxX, Sazuka-Chan, Amaya 24, SakuraKissy and everyone else for your favorites and alerts.
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Lavi could not understand how his life had changed so drastically in the past few days.
His life had been one giant routine until now. It was the same movements, the same places, the same books, work, people, every day. Everything had its place in Lavi's life, even inside his messy apartment. His life wasn't glamorous, but it was better than most. Besides the ever-present loneliness, Lavi had considered himself normal and relatively happy for the things he had, because where he was going in his education, and due to the few relations he kept with friends. He'd never wanted an adventure or a puzzle, a mystery to solve. Lavi just wanted his house, his degree, and perhaps someone compatible to settle down with. If his research went through with the Historical Society, Lavi even considered calling himself successful one day. Even though he led an ordinary, unexciting existence, Lavi was okay with that.
Until now.
Everything had changed when he couldn't stop himself from touching that melancholy statue at the museum, on such a normal Saturday afternoon. His world had been turned upside down in the course of a few days and now, not only could he not understand what had happened in another life, but Lavi couldn't understand the life he had led until Allen broke his cyclical routine. He couldn't comprehend how things had fallen so out of control with Yuu, how Tyki had a role somehow in all of this, and how Lavi could feel like he was so in love with Allen when he barely knew him.
It was foolish, Lavi knew, to think of the feelings he harbored as "love". But there was no other way to describe the way he felt. Although he had been a bit angry upon finding out what had happened the previous night, Lavi was more dissatisfied with himself than with Allen. After all, he had wanted to at least remember something as wonderful as making love to Allen, but the redhead could only grasp at flashes of memory and feeling, so quick that they didn't make sense at all.
None of it really made sense. Nothing could explain how he and Allen could be so compatible: how Allen knew exactly when to smile when Lavi was unsure; how Lavi knew precisely how to touch when Allen needed comfort; how the two of them could sit down and play a song together so perfectly when they had never rehearsed—or had they? Lavi chalked it up to not making any sense, because there was no other way he could even begin to analyze what was happening. When had Lavi learned to understand Allen and vice versa? Was he really even Lavi at all?
That scared the redhead more than anything else. What if his entire life had been one cosmic scheme to get Rabi and Allen back together? Although Lavi should have been glad for them, he could only feel despair. It came with knowing that the ring on Allen's finger meant that Lavi would never be able to ever have him like Rabi had had him. Allen's heart had been reserved for only one person: the person who died one hundred years ago on the battlefield protecting the love of his life. It made Lavi jealous, his heart ache with a sense of loss he'd never felt, even more than when Yuu had said I'm not really into guys anymore. Just like in that scenario, Lavi had something he truly wanted placed before him, only to have it taken away at the last moment. And it seemed as if a bad movie was on repeat, because Lavi felt as it he was just barely clinging to Allen by his fingertips. What would happen when those silver eyes suddenly disappeared from his life?
It just wasn't fair.
"Are you sure…this is safe?" Allen asked from beside him, clutching at the armrest with apparent nervousness. They were onboard a Southwest flight bound for New York City, something that his grandfather had arranged at the last minute with the National Historical Society's International Board. It had caused Bookman to enter the room seconds after they had finished playing the melody that no one but Lavi should have known. Before he could even ask how Allen had played along with him, and with such grace, the old man had appeared. He informed them they were taking the evening flight to JFK, so that Allen could be questioned sometime tomorrow afternoon by the Board. Lavi was pretty sure those representatives from all around the world would shit themselves when Allen Walker himself strolled into the room: live history for the people who had spent their entire lives searching for answers. Lavi could picture their faces, the old, shriveled expressions behind smart looking glasses and graying hair; he could imagine their questions ringing out in dozens of foreign languages, not kind in the slightest. With those images, Lavi could almost feel Allen's reactions to their cold questioning, their piranha-like attitudes on the hunt for information.
It was enough to make Lavi feel slightly sick.
"Of course," Lavi said, managing to break away from his confused jumble of thoughts to place his hand on top of Allen's in comfort. He even scrounged up a smile from the depths of his troubled self. "It's the fastest way to get anywhere nowadays." Allen only nodded, looking out of his window with a pale expression as clouds of orange and red streamed by. Sitting next to the silver-haired boy from the past, Lavi could feel his slight trembling, despite his words and the beautiful scenery outside. "It's safe, I promise," Lavi said, rubbing his thumb over the back of Allen's hand in a southing gesture.
"I trust you," Allen replied, silver eyes holding his for a long moment, before looking down and away again. Lavi suddenly felt warmth of a summer night upon his cheeks, indigo looking down beyond golden lamplight at the sea—the depths of eyes in the dark behind silver curtains. Pink smiles as words caress his flesh like a Mediterranean breeze, smelling of palm trees and crisp, white sheets.
Please.
I won't hurt you, I promise.
I know. I trust you, Rabi.
Just tell me if you want to stop.
Don't.
Skin touches, soft like silk, slightly wet with tears, but not pain and only happiness. Moving, moving together, weaving dreams together as bodies join, singing in harmony upon reaching that peak, tumbling over that edge into a rainbow lit evening with soft sighs and loving words whispered beneath cool breezes…
"Lavi," Allen said, causing the redhead to open his eyes a bit groggily. His mind was reeling from a dream that he could feel tingling inside his body. So strange that he couldn't remember much, except for random senses that were slightly incoherent, but so rich with imagery in feeling he could barely discern one emotion from the other. Looking around, he felt slightly confused. He hadn't remembered falling asleep, but apparently he had.
"What's wrong, Allen?" Lavi asked, once he'd come back to the present, away from that summer night he'd never experienced himself.
"The plane is going down," Allen replied, looking worried. Lavi smiled and nodded, sitting up a bit in his seat. He hadn't remembered falling asleep and he certainly didn't remember taking his brief little nap on Allen's shoulder, which had been quite comfortable, thank you very much.
"Don't worry," Lavi said. "We're just stopping and letting some people off, then we'll go back up again."
"Again?" Allen repeated, his expression slightly nervous. The young boy hadn't enjoyed take-off very much and Lavi had to put his arm around Allen's shoulders as they ascended hundreds of thousands of feet into the air. The redhead didn't blame him, of course, as Allen had been born years before planes were even in existence.
"Don't worry," Lavi said again. "It gets easier after the first time."
After a forty-five minute layover in D.C., where Lavi spent the majority of the time introducing Allen to concepts such as food courts and gift shops, they spent the evening aboard another flight bound for New York. The second time they went skywards, Allen seemed to do a bit better, but would not let go of Lavi's hand for the entire three hour trip. It filled Lavi with a silent happiness that Allen trusted him so much and when the smaller boy rested his head against the redhead's shoulder, he couldn't stop smiling.
"You know," Bookman said from beside him, "you probably made one of the biggest discoveries in history."
"Allen's not an artifact, jiji," Lavi replied quietly, so not to rouse Allen from his slumber.
"Of course, he isn't now," the older man said.
"He's a live person," Lavi answered. "Not a stone statue anymore."
"Anymore is your key word there," Bookman said, setting down his SkyMall long enough to give Lavi a look. "Despite whatever you may think of the boy, this finding of yours is going to establish your name within the society. World-wide, people will know you."
"I want them to know me for my research," Lavi retorted. "I don't want them to know me for a careless accident."
"Careless accident or not, it's going to get you inducted," Bookman said, picking up his magazine again. "You can get any job in the entire world with that next to your name." Lavi decided not to pursue the argument. After all, it was the first time in a long time that he and Bookman had been in the same place without swearing at each other. Although he loved the man who raised him, Lavi found his grandfather to be unbearably cold sometimes.
"What's going to happen to Allen?" Lavi asked.
"What do you mean?" Bookman inquired, seemingly too entranced in a new gadget's description to pay him any mind.
"I mean, what's going to happen to him? The Society isn't going to put him under glass and let little school children make faces at him all day," Lavi said. "So what are they going to do?"
"I certainly have no idea," Bookman said in response, bending the corner of the page down. "Why the sudden interest?"
"There is no sudden interest," Lavi answered a bit crossly. "That's been my question from the start."
"You seem agitated," Bookman observed.
"I am sitting next to you," Lavi replied, earning himself a violent swat with the SkyMall.
"No need for cockiness," his grandfather said, straightening out the magazine in silence for a moment. "Oh, I understand."
"Understand what?" Lavi asked.
"Why you're suddenly interested," Bookman answered vaguely.
"I told you…" Lavi sighed, knowing that it was useless to argue. "Fine, what did your magical powers of observation tell you?"
"You slept with him," Bookman said, causing the redhead to flinch rather noticeably. Luckily, it wasn't great enough to wake Allen from his nap and for that Lavi was grateful. The last thing he needed was for Allen to hear this conversation.
"It…was an accident…" Lavi said lamely, his face most likely the same shade as his hair.
"That's believable. What? You both happened to be naked—"
"Jiji…"
"—and then you fell on top of him, I presume, accidentally, inside of him—"
"Jiji…"
"From there, I do believe it was a misunderstanding that you began the actual act of—"
"Jiji! Are you fucking done?!" Lavi hissed
"I was going to go on about the apparent mishap that brought about coitus, but I do believe you get my point," Bookman answered, glaring hard at him. "Nothing is purely accidental." Lavi met his grandfather's stare, trying to ignore the pleasant weight of warmth against his shoulder.
"It wasn't me, jiji," Lavi said quietly. Something in his expression must have triggered some small part of Bookman's parental instinct, because he became very serious.
"What do you mean?" he inquired, with no trace of mockery in his voice at all.
"I mean, I can't remember it," Lavi replied, earning a suspicious look from Bookman.
"Were you drunk?" he asked, and even though Lavi had had a glass of wine before the entire incident, he wasn't going to say so.
"No," Lavi answered with a small shake of his head. "It was weird though. It was like…I wasn't me anymore. Almost like…I'd been shut away somewhere else when everything happened…it's weird because Allen said that…well, he said that it hadn't been me he'd slept with that night."
"Who, then?" Bookman asked, looking doubtful once again. "His imaginary friend?"
"He said it was Rabi," Lavi replied, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice. "The apprentice Bookman Allen Walker fell in love with during the End of Days." His words were enough to wipe that dubious expression from his grandfather's face, but perhaps too much, because the old, dark eyes flickered with an excited light. It was the same lust for historical knowledge that the piranhas of the Board would use as their drive when questioning Allen.
"How curious."
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At least the Board of Old and Nearly-Dead Men knew how to treat their guests.
A hired car was waiting for them at the airport. It was black and classy, with a lush, leather interior and a mini bar, which Lavi stared at enviously, but did not make to drink in front of his grandfather. Allen, most likely tired from all the new traveling experience he'd gained, curled up on the seat next to Lavi and went back to sleep. Although Lavi wanted to wake him to show him the City That Never Slept, the redhead couldn't bear shaking Allen's shoulder or forcing the boy awake when he was so tired. Instead, Lavi allowed Allen to sleep all the way from JFK to Manhattan, using his lap as a pillow. Bookman did not speak, but his eyes did enough talking for Lavi's liking.
A luxury room was provided for them at the Plaza Hotel in Time Square. It was everything out of every movie Lavi had ever seen: marbled floors, tasteful decorating, and, yes, a stocked bar. There were two rooms within the suite, a huge bathroom complete with Jacuzzi tub, and a stylish living room with plush sofas. Allen sleepily migrated towards the couch, but Lavi steered him in the direction of the bedroom. Beautiful mahoganies and tranquil lavender were accented by the crisp, white sheets upon the bed. The silver-haired boy sat, before promptly falling over on his side in a very adorable manner. Smiling, Lavi gently removed Allen's shoes and eased his feet up onto the bed. It took a bit of work, but the redhead managed to relieve Allen of his jacket and the old pair of gloves as well. As Lavi pulled the down blankets over the sleeping male, he let his eyes take in the peaceful form below him, with one pale hand resting atop an exotic red.
"Good night, Allen," Lavi said, unable to stop himself from tenderly kissing Allen's temple, letting his lips linger in the soft strands of silver momentarily. But then he realized where he was and who it was, the silver band laughing at him in the soft lamplight. Placing the sheets over Allen, Lavi quickly extinguished the light and left, walking out into the bright living and entrance area. Bookman was on the couch with a stack of tomes before him on the coffee table. He had a martini in his hand.
"You move fast," Lavi commented.
"You move faster," Bookman chided tauntingly, in a very inappropriate manner.
"Haha, aren't you the comedian?" Lavi said, walking into the kitchen to help himself to the wide variety of alcohol in the kitchen. He was going to have some wine, but recalled where that had gotten him last time, and instead poured a nice rum and coke with a twist of lime. Tasteful and fun, it was Lavi's drink of choice, but in a more sociable environment.
"Bak texted," Bookman informed him, when Lavi sat down.
"Is he coming tomorrow?" Lavi asked.
"Of course," Bookman answered, not looking up from his volume. "He is the representative for Asia Branch, after all."
"What'd he want then?" Lavi inquired, taking a sip of his drink. Maybe he'd put too much lime in it, because he could barely taste the rum.
"He wanted to know when you're going to submit your research," Bookman replied. "Said something about it being in before Christmas or else he's going to drop you from the program."
"Great," Lavi said sarcastically, downing his drink in one gulp upon hearing that.
"But after tomorrow, he might give you an extension," Bookman added. "Especially when he sees exactly what it was that's been keeping you so busy."
"Hm," Lavi answered, looking at his empty glass remorsefully. Bookman's phone vibrated on the glass table before them.
"It's probably that no-good son of mine…" Bookman grumbled, moving his book on top of the pile before answering in a very nasty string of Nepali. Lavi sat back with his empty glass and let the language of his childhood wash over him like waves. The rum had made him warm inside, but also tired and lonely. That was what he got for drinking it way too quickly. Not even caring what Bookman was saying, Lavi got up and made himself another drink, downed that, and then grabbed his bag on the way into the bedroom. He had been planning to spend the night on the couch, but Lavi's inebriated mind told him it was stupid to throw his back out for nothing, as the bed where Allen was sleeping was certainly big enough for two. Dropping his suitcase on the floor and kicking off his shoes, Lavi crawled into bed next to Allen with a sigh of tiredness. He had no idea what was going to happen tomorrow, and he didn't want to think about it either. Beside him, Allen shifted slightly in sleep, turning over to face him with two bleary, silver eyes.
"Hey," Lavi said with a small smile. "Care if I crash here tonight?"
"You'll…stay?" Allen asked, smiling too when Lavi nodded. "I'm glad."
"Me too," Lavi replied, eyes widening slightly when Allen scooted closer, curling himself up next to the redhead. Once again, he couldn't help but be struck by the feeling of how perfect Allen fit against him. Maybe it was the alcohol talking, but it was something he never wanted to go without.
"Lavi…'m kinda scared," Allen said softly, with warm breaths against his neck.
"'bout what?" Lavi asked, trying to keep himself from slurring too badly as he moved his arms around Allen's waist. The smaller boy did not pull away and Lavi was grateful.
"About tomorrow…what's going to happen?" Allen asked, clutching at Lavi's shirt with his two beautiful, mismatched hands.
"I dunno," Lavi answered, resting his cheek atop silken strands of silver.
"Are they…going to take me away?" Allen asked, the unspoken from you ringing clear in his voice.
"I hope not…" Lavi said honestly.
"But what if they—" Lavi cut off Allen's question with a gentle finger pressed against his lips.
"Don't think 'bout it right now," Lavi said, his eyes falling shut in tiredness. "Juss get some sleep." After that, Lavi knew that Allen said a few more things, but his mind and body were warm and he could not understand the words said so quietly against his chest. He was pleasantly drunk and lying next to someone who was holding him back.
And that was enough.
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The morning came too early for Lavi's liking, as seven a.m. was never fun, but especially after such an emotionally and physically exhausting day prior. Their wake-up call was via phone and it would not stop its incessant ringing until Lavi leaned over the lean body next to him to answer it.
"What?" he growled.
"This is your morning wake up call," said the automated voice on the other end. "We here at the Plaza Hotel hope that you enjoy this beautiful day. The temperature is—"
"Dammit," Lavi grumbled, slamming the phone down irritably as he curled back up underneath the covers. It was the only way to escape the light and the noise that seemed to permeate the room, and his head. He hadn't had that much to drink, but the combination of some alcohol and little REM sleep left Lavi rather disorientated.
"Do we hav'ta getup…?" Allen mumbled from beside him. Lavi definitely wanted to go back to bed, but when he realized that the sheets weren't his and that he'd received a wake up call of all things, the redhead recalled that they were not back in Ohio, but rather instead in New York, in a very high class hotel, nonetheless.
"Yes…" Lavi replied, from his hiding place beneath the pillow.
"I dun'wanna…" Allen whined quietly, tucking himself into a little ball beneath Lavi's arm.
"We gotta…" Lavi answered, patting him on the head before he pushed himself upwards on his elbows. "But first…I'm gonna take a shower. I'll wake you up when I get out…" With that said, Lavi pulled himself up out of bed, threw the blankets back over Allen's body, and walked into the bathroom. After a steamy twenty minute shower, Lavi got out, dried off, and pulled on a fluffy white robe. Barefooted, he returned to the bedroom and grabbed clothes, turning on the lights as he went back towards the bathroom to change. "Okay, get up, Allen." A pillow was sent in his direction, but Lavi easily dodged it, ducking into the water closet for cover. He dressed in a comfortable pair of jeans and a button up forest green shirt. Not bothering to tuck it in, Lavi finished up in the bathroom and emerged once more.
"Allen…" Lavi said, upon seeing the boy in a fetal position beneath the blankets. "Come on, it's time to get up. Go take a shower. It'll make you feel better." Begrudgingly, Allen sat up and rubbed his eyes. Lavi smiled at how cute he was, going to sit on the edge of the bed close to the nightstand. Allen leaned back against him, not making to get up, so Lavi entertained himself momentarily by looking at the breakfast menu placed on the bedside table. "Oh, look. If you hurry, we'll have some breakfast downstairs in the lounge."
Lavi had never seen Allen move that quickly before.
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Bookman was no where to be found.
While Allen showered, Lavi went out into the living room to search for his grandfather, only to find that the bed was neat and his grandfather's suitcase was still there. Finding it odd that Bookman would have left so early, Lavi resolved to call him, but only after he prepared some coffee. However, when the water was boiling and the aroma of delicious java began to fill the suite, Lavi found a note on the table addressed to him. Setting down his cell phone in mid-dial, Lavi picked up the nice piece of hotel stationary and read:
To my brat grandson,
Because of the last minute arrangements, several members of the Board will not be arriving until later tonight. Therefore, the interview has been moved to this evening at 8p.m. I presume you have the brains enough to be able to find the Historical Society's building after previous visits. If you cannot, do not bother to call me, as I don't have time for insufferable questions.
S. Bookman.
P.S. Attached to the back of this note is a Visa credit card worth $2500. Be sure while you're out today, to find something suitable for the two of you to wear this evening. I can't have my grandson looking like more of an embarrassment than he already is.
SB.
"I love you too, gramps," Lavi grumbled, pulling off the card taped to the back of the letter. Shaking his head, he poured himself some coffee and devoured it practically in two sips. He was just considering having another cup when Allen stepped out of the bedroom, still looking sleepy, but a bit more color to him than he had the previous evening.
"Food?" he asked, attempting to stifle a yawn. Lavi smiled and grabbed their room key.
"Let's go."
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Breakfast at the Plaza wasn't something to be reckoned with. It was absolutely amazing, with some of the best scrambled eggs and French Toast Lavi had ever had. Even Allen ate a lot, or at least a lot more than he had been eating, which was something the redhead was glad to see.
"So, we don't have to be there until 8 tonight," Lavi informed him, after explaining the situation to Allen in detail. The silver-haired boy swallowed his bacon, looking a bit apprehensive, but a tad bit hopeful.
"And then after this we can go home?" he asked. Lavi wasn't sure when Allen had considered his apartment "home" but he wasn't going to argue with it, as that comfort and familiarity with him and his flat made him quite happy.
"Yeah," Lavi said, hoping the Board wouldn't make a liar out of him. He smiled, pushing his uneasiness away. "Then we can go home."
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They spent the rest of the day in the city, where Allen was amazed by the tallest buildings he had probably ever seen. Then there was the traffic, the people, and the food. Lavi couldn't let Allen leave New York without trying some of the best pizza ever created by the hand of man. Together, they sat on the steps of the New York Public Library and ate from their paper plates, licking garlic off their fingers as they huddled for warmth on that clear, November day.
While on their tour of the city, Lavi brought Allen to Central Park, where they walked until midday and held hands the entire time. Although there wasn't much in the way of scenery because of the month, it was still quite beautiful. From there, they went through Rockefeller Center, taking a right to end up past the Rainbow Room and then a street or two over where they could see St. Patrick's Cathedral.
"It's one of the most beautiful churches in America," Lavi informed Allen, taking him by the hand as they entered into the gorgeous sanctuary. High, vaulted ceilings were dimly lit by overhanging lamps, but most were illuminated through the natural light that spilled in through the most ornate stained glass this side of the Atlantic. Together, they walked quietly through the pews to visit each altar, Allen's fingers clutching onto his as they viewed the saints in their miniature temples. After they had walked the entire cathedral, on the way out Allen lit a candle and prayed silently. Not religious in any right, Lavi stepped back to give him his space, wondering what Allen could be so ardently praying for.
"Thanks for waiting," Allen said, when he was through, looking a bit embarrassed to have made Lavi wait.
"No problem," Lavi replied, checking his watch. "We should probably do some shopping now."
"Shopping?" Allen repeated, taking hold of his hand when they walked out into the busy streets once again.
"Yeah. We have to get you something to wear," Lavi said.
"And you, too," Allen added. Lavi laughed, stopping as they waited to cross with other pedestrians.
"Are you making fun of my clothes?" Lavi asked, looking down at his semi-casual look.
"No," Allen said, smiling slightly as he reached forward to straighten Lavi's collar. "I like this color on you, actually. It brings out your eyes." Like he was some grade-school girl, Lavi blushed at the compliment and Allen uncomfortably brought his hands from the redhead's shoulders while turning his gaze elsewhere.
"Erm, thanks," Lavi said quickly.
"Y-yeah, you're welcome," said Allen, just as nervously. They were silent for a few moments, letting the sound of traffic and people speaking on their cell phones fill in the quiet as they waited for the crossing light to turn. Before that happened, Lavi laughed quietly and Allen did too, the two of them realizing how ridiculous they had been acting around each other. Breath rising up before them in the cold afternoon, they continued to chuckle to themselves as they crossed the street, numbed fingertips instinctually reaching towards each other like opposite ends of magnets; drawn together by universal pull that Lavi could neither explain nor comprehend.
All he knew was that it was good.
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After he and Allen had toured around the city, it was time to get down to business. Lavi found a trendy sort of place where he and Allen could be outfitted appropriately for later that evening. The redhead couldn't help but notice how nice Allen looked in a crisp white shirt, fitted vest, and simple black pants. There was something about the outfit that seemed to give Allen a confidence, a radiance, if you will, of presence. Lavi did not know how new clothes could do that, but he was perfectly content to praise Allen on his choice and hand over the credit card at the front desk. The check-out clerk was a young girl, perhaps still an undergrad in college, who did not try to hide the way her eyes roamed over Allen. The silver-haired boy was oblivious, thankfully, but it made Lavi sniff a bit in jealousy as he signed for their purchase. Not since the first day he and Allen met had Lavi felt that overwhelming being inside him whisper: mine. He managed to give the clerk a smile when she handed the card back, ignoring the rising feeling within him as he and Allen walked out into the cold afternoon.
"Where do you want to eat? We look appropriate for pretty much anything now," Lavi said. Allen didn't answer, waving the question off with a nonchalant shrug. In the end, Lavi brought them to a quiet looking upper-scale restaurant called La Scala. The hostess seemed to approve of Allen's clothes, except for the leather jacket that the smaller boy had been borrowing from Lavi for the duration of his stay. But when her gaze turned to him, Lavi realized that, in comparison, he looked rather sad in his green shirt and newly purchased khaki slacks. She didn't seem to like the rings in his ears either, but at least it was a quiet dislike and they were seated in a more private corner of the restaurant. Menus were provided and then they were left alone.
When Lavi opened his menu, he realized the mistake he'd made. Everything was very French, with foreign names he wasn't familiar with. Growing up with Bookman had taught him every aspect of almost every Asiatic language, even Middle Eastern, but not European. He couldn't even order a hot dog in Spanish if he tried. Across from him, Allen perused the menu without any outward sign of distress and the redhead tried not to think about the ring that teased him so heartlessly from Allen's finger.
"I can't read this," Allen said finally, setting the menu down.
"Me neither," said Lavi, smiling a little. Allen returned it somewhat nervously. For once in his life, Lavi wished he could dive right into someone's mind to know what they were thinking. Allen was such an enigma that Lavi couldn't even begin to figure him out, and he so desperately wanted to.
"To be honest…I'm too nervous to eat," Allen said.
"You have to eat something," Lavi replied. "They're going to have us there all night." Allen nodded and picked up the menu again, making a face as he read the descriptions. "Do you want to go somewhere different?" Allen looked up, his expression rather hopeful, but also guarded.
"Didn't you want to eat here, though?" he asked.
"Well, it was just to say I did," Lavi replied with a shrug. "I know a better place, c'mon."
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"I've never eaten this kind of food before," Allen said, as Middle Eastern dishes were placed before them. Lavi had brought Allen to his favorite restaurant in New York. It was a hole-in-the-wall place no one ever heard of, where you had to sit on cushioned pillows and eat at low-lying tables during your meal. Salaam had that sort of authentic quality that Lavi hadn't experienced since he'd last been abroad with his grandfather.
"It's really good," Lavi said, nudging a dish of chicken curry at him. "Don't be afraid. Try some."
"What does it taste like?" Allen asked, seeming a bit leery of the orange sauce atop Jasmine rice before him.
"Like delicious," Lavi replied, grinning when Allen rolled his eyes. "Try some." Allen picked up his fork and did so, very slowly, and then chewed with a surprised look on his face.
"It's not too spicy," he said.
"No," Lavi replied, and then was able to get the boy-from-the-past to try a number of other dishes, such as Tikka, Tandoori, and Masala. After dinner, he insisted that Allen try Baklava and some Indian hot cocoa. The Baklava was fresh and flaky, tasting like it was straight from the Greek Isles and the hot cocoa was spun three times around on a golden tray before served.
"Why did they do that?" Allen asked.
"For good luck," Lavi replied, taking a sip of the rich liquid. "It's something we could always use."
"Yeah…" Allen said, looking thoughtful over the rim of his cup. Lavi scooted closer to him and put his arm around Allen's shoulders.
"Don't be so down. It'll be fine, you'll see," he said, holding his position when Allen leaned against him, as if seeking shelter from a stormy sea he wasn't sure he could stay afloat in.
"What if it isn't, Lavi? What if they take me away?" Allen asked, sounding almost close to tears.
"Don't worry," Lavi said, giving his shoulder a squeeze. "It'll all be fine."
"But what if it isn't?" Allen insisted. "You're the only one…I feel safe with, Lavi. I don't…I don't want to be apart from you." As much as it warmed Lavi's heart to hear Allen say that, the darker part of him wondered why it was so. Was it because of the closeness Lavi and Rabi seemed to share? Or was it because Allen really, truly began to feel something deeper for Lavi than just passing affection?
"Don't worry," Lavi said again, forcing a comforting smile. "Everything will work out fine."
He hoped.
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When dinner was over, it was nearly 7:30 in the evening. Dark clouds had already set in with night and they were grumbling overhead.
"Storm's coming…" Lavi murmured, taking hold of Allen's hand to lead him through the crowds bustling along the lit sidewalks. When it started to snow, Lavi figured walking wasn't that great of an idea. He didn't want either of them to get colds, so he hailed a taxi and the two of them got inside, curling around the heater as if it were a lifeline. Traffic was rather heavy for that time of evening and the cab got them to the Historical Society's expensive-looking building at 8:07.
"Are we late?" Allen asked, as Lavi helped him out of the taxi.
"Yeah," Lavi said, pulling him along towards the ten-storied construct in front of them, hurrying through the snow that was coming down harder now. The National Historical Society had two very official buildings in the United States. The actual branch for the U.S. exclusively resided in Washington D.C., but the international branch was right in the heart of New York City. Even though the place should have closed hours ago, the lights were on inside and the door was open when Lavi pulled on the handle. The inside was warm, tastefully decorated, and…empty.
"Where is everyone?" Allen asked, brushing some snow off the sleeves of his jacket.
"Probably in the conference room up on the top floor…" Lavi said, not seeing any guard to give them instruction.
"Should we…go…?" Allen asked, looking at the elevators.
"You should have gone ten minutes ago," said a voice directly in front of them. Although it was too dark down that hallway behind the main desk, Lavi immediately knew who it was. It was a voice that Lavi knew without even having to wonder, without having to think or remember anything. It was the voice of his youth, the voice of his disdain, and the voice of his tormentor. It was the man he thankfully had not come into contact with for a good portion of his life.
"It's you," said Lavi, allowing his tone to give away exactly how he felt about the man. There was a careless chuckle as the man stepped out of the darkened hallway and into the light, revealing his unmistakable red hair. It was Bookman's "no-good son" and also Lavi's "dead-beat dad": Marian Cross.
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Cross just had to be in this fic. It wouldn't be a fic without him. –gropes him-
This story is almost reaching its climax. Finally, right? It'll be done by the end of the summer! Wooo!
Much love,
Dhampir72
