I burn to make you understand

One wrong word and it all may come crashing down

For the fates are devious by heart

They envy you your dreams, so they'll let you drown

Heal My Wounds

Poets of the Fall

xXxXxXx

Lavi heard the commotion in the town square as they approached, speeding past frightened townspeople as he rushed to the source. His heart pounded against his ribcage, nearly jumping up his throat with fright. If what Lenalee had said was true and Howard Link had managed to find them, they were in some seriously deep shit. After all he and Allen had gone through, there was no way he would let Louvelier's lapdog take Allen away. He'd kill the blond bastard first.

"Are you sure he's this way?" Lavi asked as they skidded around a corner, rushing past a few angry merchants bemoaning the loss of their inventory.

"I'm certain!" Lenalee shouted back, checking the magicked watch in her hand. "This will lead us right to him. It's how Kanda and I found you both."

Lavi made a mental note to ask her about that magic later, but right then, he silently thanked her for getting them to Allen as fast as possible. It only took a few more twists and turns for them to reach the square. When they plowed into the open space, two things struck Lavi as he took in the scene before him.

The first was that Howard Link was down—unconscious most likely, as he didn't see blood or visible wounds. And since Allen calmly sat next to him, unaffected by the close proximity, Lavi figured Link wasn't a threat at the moment.

The second was the tall, redheaded man standing next to the two. He cut an imposing figure in his long black coat and hat, smoking and glaring down at Allen as he spoke. Lavi wasn't sure who he was, but the sick look on Allen's face led Lavi to believe that the man was the infamous General Cross Marian.

Allen spotted them as they entered the square, and his face collapsed in relief. Unable to hold himself back, Lavi bolted straight for Allen and wrapped him up in a tight hug. Allen gasped at the suddenness of it, but returned the embrace without hesitation.

Lavi pulled back to look into Allen's face as he assessed him for injuries. "Are you all right? Lena told us what happened and—"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just exhausted," Allen assured him. Lavi helped him up to his feet, and Allen wobbled, but managed to keep steady after a short moment.

Allen turned to Lenalee then, watching her with concern. "Lena, are you okay?"

She nodded, pocketing the watch and hurrying to hug him as well. "Yes, but we're more worried about you. What happened?"

Allen wiped at some smudged dirt and sweat on his face, leaning against Lavi. "Not as much as you might imagine. Link just chased me around half the city until we got here. Eventually, I slipped up and he used that weird magic on me, like he did to the dragons at the Order. And—"

"And then I saved your ass like usual, stupid apprentice."

Lavi glared at the man, his shoulders stiffening at the rude moniker. "Let me guess? General Cross?"

Cross grinned, looming over Lavi and letting out a heavy puff of smoke. Lavi held his breath and continued to frown up at him. He wasn't used to being shorter than someone, and the scant few inches Cross had on him felt more like a whole foot's worth. "What's it to you, hm?" Cross asked, his eyes shifting between Allen and Lavi. "You seem awfully close to my apprentice. Maybe I should be asking you the questions?"

The sudden shift in questioning took Lavi by surprise. He blanched, not sure how to respond, when Allen let out a long, heavy sigh and pushed his Master away from Lavi.

"Enough. There are more important things we need to discuss," Allen said, glaring at his Master with arms crossed over his chest. "We've been looking for you for almost a month now. Did you know that the Black Order thought you were dead?"

Cross laughed at that revelation. "Good. I don't need them knowing my business."

Allen sighed. "I have a lot of questions I need to ask you and—"

"Let me guess," Cross interrupted, taking another drag of his cigarette. "It has something to do with that pile of grumpy salt over there." He pointed to Link, who was still unconscious on the ground.

"Yes," Allen said, pursing his lips as he tried to organize his thoughts. "Apparently, the dragons want me for some reason and the Black Order thinks I'm working for the dragons. I hope you have some answers for us, because we've been searching for information and have only come up empty-handed."

Cross groaned, scratching at the stubble on his chin as he looked across the square. "Hnn… So, it's come to this already, has it? I thought we had more time."

Allen's face pinched up in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Rolling his shoulders, Cross walked towards the far end of the town square. "Grab that sorry sack of bones on the ground and follow me. We shouldn't talk here."

The four of them shared confused glances as Cross kept walking, not waiting for them to catch up. Lavi leaned down and grabbed Link's shoulders as Kanda grabbed his legs. They heaved him up off the ground and followed after the General.

xXxXxXx

Allen watched as Kanda finished the knots on Link's bindings, shoving him into a corner of Cross' room at a nearby inn. It was a place they'd checked earlier, but the innkeeper who'd been working in the tavern had said they didn't see him. Either Cross had paid them to keep silent about his presence, or the innkeeper was an idiot. Honestly, Allen couldn't be sure which it was.

The drapes in the room were drawn against the waning light of dusk, and a few oil lamps were lit to illuminate the opulent quarters. It made Allen and Lavi's room feel like a dump, which barely had enough space for the two of them to walk side-by-side. Allen didn't want to think how much Cross has paid for it, or rather, how much he had added to the debt in Allen's name. He ground his teeth to stay focused. There were more important things to discuss with his incompetent Master.

Cross kicked at a few empty liquor bottles scattered on the floor, then grabbed a half-empty one from the nightstand. Popping the cork, he took a long drink and sat down on the edge of the disheveled bed. Kanda leaned against the wall, watching their unconscious prisoner with a wary eye while Lenalee and Lavi sat down at a small table near the window. Allen paced, too nervous to sit or stand still.

He waited for Cross to speak, but instead was welcomed with uncomfortable silence. Allen let out an exasperated breath, his hands balled into fists at his sides. Finally, he snapped. "If you don't know anything, just say so. We don't have time to waste just sitting here watching you drink yourself stupid."

Pulling the bottle from his lips with a loud pop, Cross glared back over at Allen. "What a rude apprentice! I should beat you for talking to me like that! I thought the Black Order would've taught you some manners by now."

Allen scoffed and turned away, too irate to speak again. Lavi broke the silence after that. "Look, Allen's right. If the Order has already tracked us here, then the dragons can't be far behind. We can't stay in this town much longer without risking capture."

Cross swirled the alcohol in the bottle, watching as the brown liquid splashed against the glass. His eyes flickered over to Allen as he continued to pace around the room. "Let me guess… The dragons attacked—tried to take you with them?"

Pausing, Allen turned his attention back on Cross. "Yes, multiple times."

He took another swig of the whiskey before speaking again. "Mentioned someone named Neah, did they? Or perhaps the Earl? And a curse?"

Allen's eyes widened and he moved closer to the bed. "Yes. Do you know what they're talking about? What it all means?" he asked, wringing his hands nervously. "One of the dragons mentioned memories—that I have them."

Cross sighed, wiping a hand over his face. "I thought leaving you with the Order would give me more time."

Allen's eyebrows furrowed as he stared at his Master. "What are you talking about? You sent me there because you said I was ready to start working as a Hunter."

"Yeah, I lied," Cross said, setting the near-empty bottle back down on the nightstand. "Do you know why the humans and dragons are at war? Why they've been fighting for a thousand years?"

"No one knows that," Lavi said, interrupting the conversation. "The knowledge has been lost."

"Is that what they've been telling you? What a load of shit." Cross laughed, then reached into his pocket for a fresh cigarette. Once he lit it, he took a long drag and relaxed against the headboard, grinning at each of them. "In spite of what the Black Order might have told you, the dragons were not always our enemies."

Allen moved to sit down with Lavi and Lenalee. He knew if he kept pacing, he'd lose what little strength he had left in his legs. They still burned from the exertion of today's chase, thanks to Link's unfaltering determination. When he finally settled into his seat, Lavi reached out under the table and rested his hand against his thigh. Allen offered him an anxious smile in return, pressing his own hand on top of Lavi's and threading their fingers together.

"If they weren't our enemies then, why are they attacking us now?" Lenalee asked, leaning against the table.

"As usual, humans are the ones who fucked everything up," Cross replied. "Dragons had been minding their own damn business, and most humans returned the sentiment. But of course, there are always a few assholes who ruin a good thing."

Cross inhaled a deep breath of smoke, letting it out slowly as he stared up at the ceiling. "Not everyone appreciated the dragons' power, especially considering we were no match against such a force. Years ago, the threat of war left the three kingdoms in chaos. Some people got it into their heads that if they could only persuade the dragons to be on their side, they could secure victory. But the dragons refused, staying out of the conflict and keeping neutral. As you can imagine, that made quite a few people angry."

"So, what happened, then?" Lavi asked. Allen turned his gaze to the redhead and caught the enthralled look in his eye.

With a chuckle, Cross continued. "They did what any person would in their position—they tried to take the dragons' power for themselves by force." He reached for another bottle of liquor, full this time. "There was a sorcerer who devised a plan. He cast a spell on the most powerful dragon of the lot, the leader. The spell was supposed to steal the dragon's power and infuse the sorcerer with it. Instead, he died, and the dragon was split into two separate, sentient dragons: Mana and Neah."

Allen's eyes widened. "Neah…" He recognized that name in an instant, and his mind flashed over glimpses of the dragon from his dreams, or memories. Allen still wasn't sure what was real and what wasn't at that point. All he knew was that the name brought up the image of soft golden eyes and black hair, a teasing voice, and rough hands.

"That's impossible. You can't… You can't split something into two beings," Lavi said, the irritation clear in his voice. "There's no magic that can do that."

"That's what happened," Cross said, unperturbed by Lavi's disbelieving tone. "In their divided state, the dragons' magic had been nullified. Unable to return to their whole form, they lived for years as separate beings. But the split changed them. While Neah grew closer to the humans, Mana grew reclusive. He began to hate all humans, and decided that the only way for the world to be safe again was to kill them all."

"Now, that sounds familiar," Kanda commented, leaning his head back against the wall and staring at the ceiling.

"Neah tried to reason with his other half," Cross explained. "But Mana had grown too unstable. In an attempt to merge them together once more and gain their powers back, Mana killed Neah and ate him."

Allen's fingers tightened in Lavi's hand. The way Cross had described it triggered a memory—a dream from over a month ago, nearly two now. He recalled climbing a mountain, seeing the black dragon feasting on the white one. He remembered the crunch of sharp teeth in his stomach and chest, then everything had gone black. Lavi turned to look at him, concern etched in his features, but Allen could only shake his head and hope his body would stop trembling. "W-What happened after that?"

After another large gulp from the bottle, Cross continued the story. "Neah knew Mana had lost his mind, so he made a plan to stop Mana from getting what he wanted. He cursed a human, or at least that's what the dragons call it. The curse transfers a dragon's essence—memories, powers, whatever—to a host. And you are that host, Allen."

Allen stared at Cross, unable to speak. He didn't want to admit it, but the explanation made sense. With the glimpses of memories he'd seen for weeks now, this new information resonated with him.

When Allen didn't speak up, Lavi turned his gaze to the General. "How the hell do you know all of this? If no one in the Black Order knows, how have you figured it out?"

The grin on Cross' lips threatened to split his face in two. "Oh c'mon, Junior. You shouldn't be so naive."

"How—" Lavi shook his head, taken aback by the name. "How do you know th—"

"—That you're a Bookman in training?" Cross finished, snickering to himself. "Let's just say you were my replacement when I was dubbed unworthy of continuing my own apprenticeship."

"Wait—You were a Bookman?" Lavi asked, incredulous. "And Bookman, my Master, was your…?"

"You got it, kiddo," Cross confirmed, taking another drink from his bottle. "Seems Bookman hasn't gotten too in depth with your training if he hasn't shared how the Dragons' War started. Are you that shitty of an apprentice?"

Lavi narrowed his eyebrows and stood up, his chair scraping across the floor. "At least I wasn't kicked out!"

Cross chuckled. "Not yet." His gaze moved over to Allen. "But if Bookman catches wind of how close you are to my apprentice, then I'm guessing it won't be long until you're dismissed as well."

That caught Allen's attention, pulling him out of his own thoughts long enough for him to look up at Lavi's face. He saw the pain and conflict in his solitary eye, but Lavi wouldn't return the gaze. Filing that tidbit of information away for later, Allen focused back on his Master. "How… How does the curse work? If I'm the host and I was cursed one thousand years ago, does that mean I'm a thousand years old?"

"No, humans are too fragile to live that long," Cross replied, still lounging on his bed. Even though he'd gone through at least a bottle's worth of alcohol since their conversation started, he still looked stone-cold sober. "The curse is handed down through generations. Once the cursed host dies, the next of their kin to be born has the cursed mark. It's right there on your face—the red pentacle and the mark over your eye. That along with the white hair and eyes are the markings of a dragon's curse. That's how the dragons knew you were the one to hold Neah's memories."

Brushing back the hair from his eyes, Allen stared down at the table. "Is that why you took me on as an apprentice?"

"Well," Cross began, "That, and your parasitic dragon hunting weapon. Knew that thing would come in handy."

"The dragons mentioned the Earl when they tried to kidnap Allen, that they were bringing him to the Earl," Lavi said, tapping his fingers against the table anxiously. "Does that mean the Earl is Mana?"

"Yeah, as far as I know, that's the name he's gone by since he tried to merge with Neah again. He calls himself the Millennium Earl."

"That's a strange name," Lenalee said, running a hand through her messy hair.

"Not so strange when you know his original powers," Cross added. "He has the ability to manipulate time, or he did before the split. Now he's powerless until he gets Neah's memories."

"Time?" Allen asked, his face scrunching up with confusion once more. "How does he manipulate time?"

"He can travel backwards or forwards through time and space."

Lavi turned to Allen, his face plastered with concern. "That must be his plan. Remember when Tyki and Wisely said the Earl wanted Neah's memories to destroy humanity? What if he plans to go back in time to do it?"

Allen shook his head. "How is that even possible?"

"Time has a ripple effect," Lavi explained, his hands moving over the tabletop with a nervous flutter. "Change one instance in history and you can change everything. If he wanted to, he could orchestrate the entire downfall of human civilization. There are millions of ways he could accomplish this, and it wouldn't even take that much effort. It would be easy with such a power…"

Lenalee turned to him as well, her eyes wide with fright. "Allen, we can't let the dragons capture you—no matter what. It's too dangerous."

"No shit," Cross mumbled, fumbling with the bottle in his hands.

"What do we do, then? We have to do something," Lavi said, panic rising in his voice. Allen reached out to take his hand, but the gesture did little to calm the redhead down.

Finishing off the fresh bottle in his hand, Cross let out a long breath, then stood to his feet. "You little shits are lucky I'm here," he said, flicking the ashes of his cigarette on the floor before shuffling through a pack near the edge of the bed. He pulled out a book, the leather cracked and warped from age. "There's a spell."

"A spell?" Allen asked, standing up and staring at the book in Cross' hands.

"I've had the potion recipe for a while now, but never the means to get to the dragons' keep," Cross explained, paging through the book. "One of the tasks I had as Bookman's apprentice was to search out information pertaining to the start of the Dragon's War. I figured out how to undo what the sorcerer did a thousand years ago." He held up the book for everyone to see. The language was one Allen couldn't read, but it looked to be a list of some sort.

"So, is that—?" Lavi asked, standing up and moving towards Cross. He reached for the book, but Cross snapped it shut and pulled it away.

"Yes. This is a potion that should repair the damage done by that dumbass sorcerer."

Allen stared at the book, anxiety still heavy in his chest. "But, isn't that exactly what the Earl wants?"

Cross grinned at him. "Not exactly. The Earl wants Neah's memories, but only for the power. It wouldn't be a proper transference. This spell, however, would completely negate the spell cast on the dragon. He would no longer be half a dragon's soul. He would be whole again."

"How is that supposed to help us?" Kanda asked, glaring out across the room. "The dragons will still be our enemies."

"Wrong, ponytail," Cross said, waving the book back and forth as he walked to the table, grabbing himself another drink. "The Earl is the leader. What he says goes, and before the split, he was sensible and, more importantly, not fucking crazy. It stands to reason that if he's brought back to his normal self, we'll have a chance to talk reasonably with him, and come to peaceful terms."

"Peaceful?!" Kanda snapped. "Nothing the dragons do is peaceful! This plan is stupid and will get us all killed."

"Is that what the Order told you?" Cross asked, finding another bottle on the table that wasn't completely drained and sucking down a large gulp. "Let me explain something to you. The Black Order cannot win this war. Eventually, the dragons will kill everyone. The only way out of this is a peaceful resolution."

"It won't work. There's no way we can manage it," Lenalee said, shaking her head. "Even if this potion breaks the spell, there's no way we can get there. We don't know where we need to go, or which dragon is the one we need to cast the spell on. We're more likely to get killed attempting this than succeeding."

"Precisely the reason I've never tried it," Cross explained. "I can make the potion easy enough, but I can't find their keep. I know it's in the Ilith Mountains, but I can't pinpoint their location."

"Well, we can't just sit around and wait. The dragons are after Allen, and if they get him, then we're fucked no matter what," Lavi said, exhaling loudly.

"Wait," Allen said, interrupting the arguing. "I think… I think I might be able to get us to the dragons' keep." Everyone turned their eyes to him, and he swallowed nervously.

"Al, what are you talking about?" Lavi asked, confusion in his voice.

"I've been having those dreams almost every night—the memories. And I… I've seen the top of the mountain. I think I know which way to go, where the keep is."

"Well, look at that," Cross began with a chuckle. "My useless apprentice is finally good for something."

Lavi ignored Cross' insults and turned to Allen. "Are you serious? Do you really think you can get us there?"

Allen met Lavi's gaze and nodded. "Yes. I can do it."

"No way," Lenalee said, her voice shaking as she spoke. "It's too dangerous, Allen. There's no guarantee we can make it, or that we won't just be handing you over to the dragons if we even attempt to find their lair. Maybe if we had help, more Hunters—"

"But we don't have help," Lavi interrupted. "We don't have a choice. We're the only ones who can do this."

She turned to Kanda, a pleading look on her face. "Kanda, tell them we can't!"

He watched her for a moment, silent, then let out a heavy sigh. "I don't like their plan, but I don't have a better idea, either. And I'm not going to wait around until we get attacked again."

Lavi turned to Cross. "Are you certain you can make the potion?"

"Of course. I'm not an idiot," he scoffed.

"If we get the ingredients tonight, we can mix up the potion and head out to the mountain at first light. It's only a few hours ride to the base," Lavi said, looking back to Allen. "And you're sure you can find their keep?"

"I am," Allen assured him.

"What about him?" Kanda asked, gesturing to Link as the blond laid still on the floor.

Lavi winced at the reminder. "Good point. I doubt he's going to cooperate with us."

Kanda kicked at Link's boot, glaring down at him from above. "Hey, stop pretending to be asleep. I know you've been conscious the whole time."

Everyone peered over at Link, and after another kick to his legs, the blond opened his eyes and returned Kanda's glare with the same intensity. He said nothing, however, and didn't move.

Lenalee gasped at his comment. "Kanda?! Why didn't you tell us he was listening?!"

Kanda shrugged. "What difference does it make? He's going to be a pain in our asses no matter what."

"We can't just let him go. He's just going to attack us again." Lavi sighed and leaned against the table, a frown marring his lips.

"Kill him, then," Cross suggested, working into another bottle of alcohol.

A scandalized look spread over Lenalee's face. "We can't do that! He didn't do anything wrong! He's just following Louvelier's orders!"

"Exactly. He's only loyal to that asshole. He can't think for himself," Kanda replied, sneering down at him. "There's no way he'll listen to reason."

With a determined look on his face, Allen crossed the room and knelt down next to Link. Their eyes met for a long moment before he spoke up, his voice calm and collected. "If Kanda's right, you've been listening to our conversation this whole time. You should know by now that we're not traitors like Louvelier believes. And you also know how high the stakes are. So, I'll cut you a deal. If you help us on our mission, help us stop the dragons and save the world, then… then when this is all over, I'll turn myself in."

"What?!" Lavi shouted, jumping to his feet. "Al, what are you doing?! You can't turn yourself in to that maniac!"

"We don't have much of a choice right now, and we need all the help we can get," Allen said, keeping his eyes on Link as he addressed Lavi. "And besides, Link is pretty tough. He almost managed to catch me."

"I did catch you," Link spoke up, his eyes still as sharp as they'd been during their earlier battle.

"I suppose you did," Allen replied, smiling cheekily. "But, what do you think? You get what you're after, and maybe we save the world, too. I mean, that should definitely make you look good to the Director, wouldn't you say?"

Link stared back at Allen, his face still scrunched up with a frustrated glare. Reluctantly, he sat up and nodded. "Fine. I agree to your terms. I will help you with this task, then we return to Central to have you face trial."

Allen sighed, but smiled anyway. "Thank you, Link."

"So, what do we do now?" Lavi asked, watching Allen as he stood up and turned away from Link.

"We get the ingredients, my Master makes the potion, and then we head up the mountain," Allen said, looking at everyone. The nervous energy in the room was palatable, but he tried to ignore it. It wasn't much of a plan, but it was the only one they had. If they couldn't make this work, well, Allen didn't want to think about the other options.

This had to work—they had no other choice.

xXxXxXx

Lenalee tugged at the hem of her shirt as she and Kanda browsed through the inventory at the herbalist's store. After Cross gave them the list of ingredients needed for the potion, they headed out to grab everything before the store closed for the night. She waited impatiently as the herbalist measured out the last of the ingredients they needed. Kanda stood quietly next to her, seemingly unbothered by the wait.

"Are you sure we got everything?" she asked, eyes scanning over walls of herbs and potions.

"Yes," Kanda replied, his tone flat and devoid of emotion.

"Did you double check the list? I don't want to forget anything just in c—"

"Lena, calm down. We have it all." He reached out and grabbed her shoulder, pulling her close until she was pressed up against his side. The motion surprised her at first, but she went with it, melting against him as she wrung her hands with anxious, pent-up energy.

She rubbed her hands over her face, feeling the slight tremor in them. "I don't want to mess anything up."

"We won't," Kanda assured her, rubbing her back with soothing, circular strokes. They spoke in hushed tones, too low and soft for the herbalist in the other room to hear them.

"Kanda, I'm scared," she admitted, letting out a long, shuddered breath as she fought to hold back tears. "I don't want anyone to get hurt, and this plan is…"

"I know. It's practically suicide, but I can't figure out any way around it." He didn't sugar-coat their predicament, and she appreciated the honesty. Empty reassurances would only spur her further into an anxious spiral of despair.

"I'm sorry," Lenalee said, tightening her fingers in the loose folds of his shirt. "Had I known things were this dangerous, I don't think I would've left the Order like I had."

Kanda laughed. "Don't kid yourself, Lena. You still would've gone, only you would've grabbed more reinforcements before you left."

Lenalee couldn't help but laugh with him, shaking her head. "I suppose you're right. I would have." Before she could say more, the herbalist returned from the back room, handing them their purchases.

"Here you are. Is there anything else you need?"

Lenalee grabbed the bag as Kanda paid for the ingredients. "No, that's all. Thanks," he said as they turned to leave. They left the shop and headed back to the inn. The sun had set nearly an hour ago, and the street lamps were lit against the dark of night.

Clutching the bag to her chest, Lenalee walked next to Kanda, her head tilted down and a somber look on her face. "Do you think we can do it?" she asked, eyes still focused on the cobblestone street in front of her.

"Maybe," he replied, his voice even and calm like usual.

She tightened her grip on the bag. "…Are you going to tell me not to come with? Because of the baby?" Lenalee looked up at him then, and caught the glimpse of a smirk on his lips before he answered.

"Would you even listen to me if I did?"

"No, probably not," she admitted.

There was a brief silence between them before he spoke up again. "The way I see it, we can't much afford to leave you behind. We need all the help we can get. And if we fail? Well, we'll likely all get killed, anyway, if the dragons pull off their plan."

"You don't sound very optimistic."

"I'm not. But if we don't try, then we're doomed anyway. We might as well give it a shot."

Lenalee let out a soft chuckle and leaned against his shoulder. "Maybe you should leave the rousing pre-battle speeches to someone else. You're not exactly motivating."

Kanda grinned. "Shall we leave that to the General?"

Lenalee laughed harder. "Gods, I hope not."

xXxXxXx

"There you are."

Allen looked up as Lavi climbed the last few rungs of the ladder and ambled onto the roof. The angled wooden slats creaked underfoot as Lavi made his way to where Allen sat. There was a chill to the night air that had them both hunching their shoulders against the breeze that blew across the rooftops.

"Sorry for disappearing," Allen said as he watched Lavi sit next to him. "I just needed some air… and space."

"Do you want me to leave?" Lavi asked as he settled in.

"No. Just… I can't handle being stuck in that room with my Master and Link. It's a little intimidating."

Lavi chuckled and wrapped his arm around Allen's shoulder. "I can see that. I wasn't exactly excited over the prospect of working with either of them. But, here we are."

"Yes… Here we are." Allen let out a soft sigh, leaning into Lavi's shoulder and resting his head against it.

Lavi felt the tension in Allen's body as he him closer, huddling together against the cool breeze. Lavi didn't blame him—they were in a lot of trouble. The fate of the world rested in their hands, and one wrong move could doom them all. Lavi wasn't immune to the fear and trepidation of tomorrow's mission, but he knew Allen had to have felt it more acutely. It was him that the Dragons wanted, and the constant feeling of being hunted down had wore on him for weeks.

"Lavi?" Allen asked, breaking the silence that had stretched out between them for minutes.

"Yeah, Al?"

"Do you think we can do it?" he asked, shuffling closer into Lavi's embrace. "Do you think we can beat the dragons and save everyone?"

Lavi swallowed, the lump in his throat tight and hot as he thought over their possible fates. "I don't know… It's not impossible."

Allen chuckled, shaking his head and reaching out to grab the front of Lavi's shirt. "That's painfully honest."

Lavi managed a smile, in spite of the situation. "I don't like false hope, Al. And I'm not going to give it to you, either."

Allen's silver eyes stared out over the city, a few lamps still lit on the main streets. They glowed like fireflies in the darkness. "I think we'll win."

"Do you?" Lavi asked. His tone was neutral as he slipped his hand into Allen's white hair, gently running his fingers through it.

"Yeah. We have to, right? There's no other choice. I'm not counting us out until the very end."

Allen's optimism left Lavi's chest lighter. Sure, they barely stood a chance against their enemies. There wasn't a time they'd faced off against a dragon and came out on top. But when Allen spoke like that, when he said they would win, Lavi couldn't help but believe him.

"I guess I'll do the same, then." He turned to the side and kissed his temple. Their skin was already chilled from the drop in temperature. "Come on. Let's go inside. It won't be good to catch a cold before our big mission."

"Okay." Lavi helped Allen up to his feet and they picked their way across the roof. Before they reached the ladder, Allen stopped and turned around, facing Lavi with a serious look on his face. "Lavi?"

Lavi's stomach dropped at the tone Allen had used. He chewed at his lower lip, his hand still lingering on Allen's arm. "Yeah? What's wrong?"

Allen pursed his lips, eyebrows furrowed for a short moment before he spoke up. "I just… I wanted to tell you that I…" He took a breath, and looked away for a quick moment before meeting Lavi's gaze once more. "Thank you—for everything. I honestly don't know how I would've made it this far without you."

Lavi couldn't help but smile back at Allen. "You could've done it, Al. You're amazing like that."

"Maybe, but you made it so much easier. And I… I want you to know how much it meant to me. How much you mean to me." Allen leaned in closer, pressing his face against Lavi's chest.

Wrapping his arms around Allen without a second though, Lavi buried his nose in his hair and closed his eye. "Allen…" Lavi whispered, his voice almost lost to the wind for how weakly he spoke.

"I love you, Lavi," Allen mumbled into his shirt. "I love you so much that it scares me."

Lavi trembled at the words, and they echoed in his head over and over again. Allen had never said those three words before, and neither had Lavi. Hell, he hadn't dared dream of saying them for fear of the repercussions. Lavi was still a junior Bookman, and as such, wasn't allowed to create such strong bonds with anyone. But Allen… He rammed through all of Lavi's defenses and made him feel things he'd never felt before. It wasn't just physical—Lavi felt his heart grow lighter when Allen was near, and just looking at his fellow Hunter left him smiling. Allen made him happier, made him want to be a better person.

Gods, he loved Allen Walker and there was no turning back.

Lavi knew he had to say it back, even if it meant losing his status as a Bookman, even if it meant giving up everything he'd worked for since he was just a child. Allen had to know; he couldn't keep these feelings locked inside anymore.

Pulling back just enough to see Allen's eyes, Lavi smiled. He watched him for a long moment, his thumb running over Allen's lower lip in a gentle caress. "Allen, I—"

A sudden blow to his back left Lavi crying out in pain, cutting off his words as he fell against the rooftop. His vision swam and his ears rang, unable to do anything but gasp for a breath. He heard Allen scream, and the sound of scuffling across the roof. The roof shook as something landed on it, and Lavi struggled to pull himself to his feet.

When he could finally see again, Lavi caught sight of Allen fighting with a dragon, the purple and black scales giving away his identity in an instant. "Al!" he shouted, stumbling backwards as he reached for the hammer at his side.

Tyki knocked Allen hard in the back of the neck, and once the blow landed, he fell to the roof like a sack of bricks. Tyki scooped up Allen's limp form with one claw, then gave a toothy grin to the redhead. "Sorry, Eyepatch," he growled out, wings flapping hard to take flight. "Looks like you lose."

Lavi's head still swam as he rushed after Tyki, but the dragon was in the air before he could catch up. "Bring him back!" he screamed, his voice cracking as he watched the dragon take Allen away. It was only seconds before they disappeared over the cloud cover, and Lavi collapsed against the roof, tears spilling from his good eye. Allen was gone, and so was their chance of saving everyone.