Wow, it's been six months since I've updated this? What can I say? Life and I are currently in a lemon-throwing war. If anyone knows the newer evasive tactics, I would love to hear them. A special thank you to anyone who is still reading, even if you don't comment or fave – it's really awesome that you've given this little project a try. We really appreciate it! :D
Argument, Stupid, Stupid (Revised), Mourn, Almost, Theatre, Ship, Bruderlein, Sword, Clown, Cat, and Mirror are the newest AU offspring. ;) Other than that, it's feasible original storyline. If you have any thoughts or requests, I would love to hear them. Happy reading!
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Argument: In hindsight, as Komui let his hand meet his face, that he should have found a different pair in the class to demonstrate the importance of non-verbal communication, because these two just weren't normal and they weren't making his point – the class was laughing, he was shaking his head, and Allen and Lavi were standing in front of the whiteboard, blindfolded, and attempting to fake an argument but it was a failed argument at best; they were nearly forehead to forehead and chewing each other out with oddly sarcastic smiles on their faces, so certain of themselves and each other that no one could mislead or get a rise out of either of them, and where one moved, the other responded in kind; body language unceasingly smooth and real – as though both could see his partner clear as day – and Komui just chuckled into his hand, sighing that these two were just too in tune to each other.
Hate: Allen was silent as he listened to Lavi mutter in a voice he barely recognized, silent as the Bookman-in-training vented in a drugged stupor of thought of how foolish and weak-willed and barbaric humans could be, silent when the redhead choked and coughed and gripped the linen hospital sheets with angry fingers, silent until Lavi finally lay back and struggled to breathe, gaze clearing slowly as he finally started to return to himself again with the pain as his waking call... and Allen finally inched forward, leaned into the shape of Lavi's side, studying one bloodshot eye with both his own and caught the redhead's attention long enough to whisper a simple thought in return, a thought that rendered every lingering word on Lavi's tongue dead in the graveyard of Allen's long silence: "To be brutally honest, I hate this world too... I hate who we've been and what we are; every evil thing we have the potential to be... but I'm still going to try and save it... just as I will always try to save you."
Distant: It was an odd sky, sun beating down through the clouds on the cobblestone and soft rain washing his face, lost in the distance of a thousand worlds away in a space that knew no time, and there he remained, lost and empty, until a warm hand slipped into the gaps between his limp fingers and he started a little in surprise, glancing over his shoulder and was met with the side of a face swept with deep red hair and widened with an understanding smile to whisper, "... I know, huh...?" and Allen stilled, his hand curling around Lavi's more firmly as he kicked his head back to the sky... and laughed.
March: It should have been inconceivable to see what he was seeing now, inconceivable that the heartless would find reasons to stand, to pick up a banner and march toward certain doom, duty and purpose being overrun by an infantile but growing faith and hope, emotions finding embers to breathe where they should have never found life at all; but there was nothing he could do against something so dangerous and powerful and unpredictable as the human will... and Bookman would only shake his head when Lavi would shrug off his guidance with excuses and banter that for all appearances said he was listening and he was just as he used to be, just as he always had been, a shell with a center no one could touch or mold, shake his head every time his apprentice stood and stretched or left the room or stared off into the empty space of the world because he knew and they knew and everyone knew that Lavi was not there anymore, he was with the one who had remolded his center, revived and changed his heart; Lavi was seeking Allen every time.
Stupid: It was the cruddy day to trump all cruddy days and Allen let his head slam against the table for what felt like the umpteenth time, ready to fake a seizure or hunt down the nearest drug dealer, anything to exit stage left from his life for a while... until he heard the growing rumble of snickering in the chaotic haze of student voices around him... and with the speed of a snail on steroids, he lifted his head from his arms to find the source of the growing humor – to his surprise (not really) on the other side of the lunch table stood Lavi, who had somehow managed to get for himself a can of whipped topping, and the instant the two best friends made eye contact Lavi shook the can with an extra burst of gusto, tilting his head suggestively with the dumbest grin Allen had ever seen in their ten years together, and with a loud hiiisssssss from the can the redhead topped himself with a dollop of whipped cream – and Allen almost, almost, didn't pass out from laughing so damn hard.
Stupid (Revised): It was the cruddy day to trump all cruddy days and Allen let his head slam against the barn door for what felt like the umpteenth time, ready to fake a seizure or hunt down the nearest drug dealer, anything to exit stage left from his life for a while... until he heard the soft rise of snickering in the quiet haze of the horses around him... and with the speed of a snail on steroids, he left his head twist to the right to find out what could be so freaking hilarious and caught sight of a few stragglers from the Saturday riding class looking in his direction with odd smiles on their faces, laughing into their hands, but what really caught his attention was Lavi – who was walking toward him, shaking up a can of whipped cream in one hand and flicking a riding crop in the other with a grin to rival the devil's trickery, and with a one-eyed wink and that sexy smile created solely to make girls swoon, the redhead tossed his best friend the crop and said so softly none but Allen could hear: "Love, I know it's been a rough day – so meet me in my room in five... and bring that with you," grinning quite madly as he indicated the braided leather in Allen's hands and spun on his heel to run in the other direction, making the observing group hoot and cheer quite loudly; which ended being quite a good distraction, because Allen could no longer breathe – he was laughing too damn hard.
*inspired by the gag reel of Season 6 for Supernatural
Dress-Up: Allen wasn't even sure where Lavi had found the trunk of clothes in a hospital of all places, but he couldn't complain too loudly when his bed-ridden friend had finally found enough strength to move around and laugh again, though it didn't stop Allen from rolling his eyes at the game Lavi had pulled him into – a long sock tied around the redhead's eyes to obscure all vision as he pulled the many articles of clothing from the suitcase and blindly felt the fabrics to figure out what they were before dressing Allen in them, until the both of them looked ridiculous and laughter flowed nonstop between them: "What on earth are we doing?" he gasped at some point, shrieking as Lavi tried to force a skirt on him, and his best friend grinned widely, giggling, "We're getting in touch with our feminine sides!" to which Allen could only snigger, poking the other's forehead; "Like you need a feminine side... you're girly enough as it is."
Mourn: It was late when they finally got home, and Allen found himself so drained beyond fathom that all he wanted to do was collapse and not get back up again; but Lavi pushed him in the direction of the bathroom and ordered him to shower and dress for bed, which Allen did slow and grudgingly… but when he came out again, hair damp and arms full of the suit he had worn to the funeral, he dumped the clothing in the room he and Lavi shared and quickly left again – and Lavi sighed, shutting his book and rising to his feet, knowing exactly where the younger would be… he found Allen in Mana's room, already tucked under the heavy covers and almost hidden from view, and the redhead couldn't help but shake his head fondly before climbing onto the mattress and nudging Allen over just enough to lay down next to him… for a while, they didn't speak, Allen on his back and his knees over Lavi's legs with Lavi on his side and his head on Allen's shoulder, Lavi listened to Allen's breathing that seemed both steady and strained, until suddenly, he sparked an idea breathing in Mana's scent still heavy on the sheets, and weakly opening his mouth a time or two, he started to sing a familiar song; and Allen, who had nearly lulled himself to sleep stiffened painfully at the words, words Mana had always sung himself, shaking his head and the tears glistened in the sharp starlight as he whispered too soon, Lavi it's too soon, please… but Lavi wouldn't have it; he held his brother close and kissed his temple with nothing but love, tasting salt water and explained in a weary, broken-hearted voice: "-big brothers can always do what their daddies used to, when they can't anymore… and he told me I should… especially right now when you need him so much…" so Allen just lay there in Lavi's arms, the fight gone from him, softly letting himself cry as he listened to the words of Mana's favorite song, the song he didn't think he would have ever been able to hear again, in Lavi's tender voice long, long into the night.
Dadu: The little toddler waved his hands, dimpled cheeks stretching wide as the boy laughed up at Allen, red hair sticking up wildly, grey eyes dancing while he pleaded, "Dadu?" with the most devastating puppy-dog look the Exorcist had ever come across, and, unable to resist, kneeled down to hug the child and squished him firmly, chuckling softly while the two-year old squirmed in glee, a small miracle of sunlight in the small town they'd ventured into in search of Lavi, and when he picked up the squealing boy, accepting a raspberry to his cheek, Lenalee smiled sadly at the sight, eyeing them with tender amusement; "He looks like Lavi," she whispered to Kanda, who stared at the child with something akin to fondness in his gaze, "Save for his eyes... he has Allen's eyes..." to which the swordsman gave her a pointed look before glancing back at Allen, contemplative and silent a moment before murmuring almost softly, "He looks like both of them."
*Dadu: asking for a hug.
Babu: Lavi wasn't sure where he was or how he was still alive, and when the village came into view he was more than eager to force his broken body towards the nearest doorway that had a red cross painted over the door, but his final reserves of strength gave way on the first step of the building and he collapsed solidly, chest heaving with the effort of breath, muscles screaming in agony as he slumped against the steps, the rising sun doing nothing to ease the coldness slowly seeping into his skin, his bones, his mind... the only people about were a group of children making their way to the churchyard from where he'd fallen, but he was unable to summon a voice loud enough to call them and chuckled at such bad luck, closing his eyes to wait for darkness to come; a toddler came instead, approaching him fearlessly, red hair sticking up in all directions, giggling mouth wide... but his eyes were what drew Lavi the most, grey just like Allen's, and he smiled shakily at the boy who grinned and asked, "Babu?" before leaning in to plant a kiss on his nose.
*Babu: asking for a kiss.
Foretell: By fifteen he had long since learned when not to tell Bookman about certain things, but for so many nights he dreamt of a life he did not know; by everything he had ever known this world was strange, dangerous in the way it beaconed, threatening in the way it called to him, murmuring his name with a tenderness foreign, and so he ran, seeking a way to escape, to leave this place and return to the world he understood, the world that was barren and predictable and full of malice, but before he could, a boy would block his path; a boy whose name and features drifted in and out of obscurity, never enough to be certain of any single detail, no detail save a few traits; the boy's warmth, his laugh, and the way he would never let him pass on to whatever oblivion lay beyond... and so they would stay there, locked in a battle that drew not one drop of blood, and over time, something about this boy started to reach out to him; and when time drew to a close, when the boy would look at him with a smile glistening and so completely adoring, he didn't know why but he couldn't back away – he didn't even flinch when a strong hand touched his shoulder in an affirming way before drifting up to cup his face quietly, that grey expression bright with humor and joy coming in and out of focus and he couldn't help but let his heart whisper; God, how do I know you, why are you looking at me like you know me, why do I actually believe you might, why do I feel like I've been looking for you, why do I feel like I belong to you... please tell me... who are you? but every time, before he could garner the truth, he blinked awake to the barely familiar surroundings of the rundown inn he had fallen asleep in hours ago, Bookman still snoring rhythmically from five feet away; and he had to roll over into his pillow to keep from choking out loud on the torturous thoughts that did and did not belong to him, choking on the unfamiliar emotions trying to claw their way up his throat, choking on the chill that nipped his exposed skin and choked on the tears of what he knew, what he could not deny; that the boy and his warmth were gone, gone from his sight and he didn't understand, feared, raged, denied the sense that he was missing something, something vital from deep inside his soul every time he woke from that dream, wanting to scream out just leave me alone, leave me alone! but the words would never come... and he feared, deep in his mind, that he was a traitor to Bookman and himself.
Almost: They didn't talk that first night, absorbed in either the shock or the numb; Lavi slept most of the time and Allen didn't leave his side once, paying no mind to how often he was encouraged and even urged by the nurses to take a break, he couldn't be dissuaded... and early one morning, when the clouds shielded the sun and painted the sky with grey, Allen began to talk very softly, very gently about something he had never mentioned before, even as Lavi groggily started to wake... "-had a dark feeling about it, you know... so I hurried through my chores and I drove to his apartment... his roommate let me inside, said he had locked the door... I had to kick it open, and I found him, bleeding, all over the tiles... –he died in my arms," and Allen swallowed hard, aching somewhere deep as he took in Lavi's haggard face in the hospital bed, his bruised eye and hollow cheekbones and wrists wrapped up in white gauze with a soft gaze, and tenderly stroked his red hair back, "... I just wanted to te-" but cut off as one bandaged hand rose up to meet his face, settling against his face with a softness the boy had rarely known, and Lavi, eye brimming with tears he never usually let anyone see whispered brokenly, "... I'm so sorry..."
Theatre: There were times Allen cursed his choice of joining an all-male acting troupe, one such time being their newest project in which his slight build and fair looks had landed him the lead female role with his best friend playing opposite as the romantic lead, and the stage direction [They Kiss] was starting to haunt him – not that he didn't trust Lavi, because that was far from the truth, but the thought of the redhead stealing his first kiss from him was daunting to say the least, an apprehension that only grew during rehearsal when the scene was finally set; it took everything in Allen to stay in character, to close his eyes and act like the ceiling wasn't about to collapse on his head, but nothing could stop his shock when Lavi tilted his chin up just so and kissed the corner of his lips, unmoving until the lights dimmed for the scene change and Allen was able to pull back and blink dumbly up at Lavi with a red face when he winked with a, "What... you want a real one?" to which Allen promptly shoved the other's hat into his laughing mouth.
Ship: They were picking up speed and Allen had to lean over the railing a little, watching the bow of the ship steadily cut through the water like a knife through soft butter, exhilarated by the feeling as he spread his arms wide and accepted the salt water taste on his lips with a smile; until he heard a whoop of excitement and was slammed into from behind – booted feet taking a few steps up on the railing around and on either side of him and a friendly arm death-gripped his chest, several more cheers resounding through them and around them, infecting each other with such joy – and the younger just had to start laughing, he hadn't seen Lavi laugh so hard in such a long time; this trip was his victory and the redhead apparently wanted the world to know it; the poor boy's heart leaping as he hollered into the wind, "I'm king of the world!" and Allen believed every word.
Bruderlein: When Allen finally came home from his date with Lenalee, face flushed and an elated skip to his step, Mana could only match his son's smile before heading back to the kitchen to fix up a cup of hot cocoa, knowing it would be the perfect leverage to weasel information out of Allen, because, like any good father, he wanted details, especially under such important circumstances like a first kiss; however, his other foster son found Allen first and with the sensitivity of any big brother – "My little baby bro has finally become a man!" he crooned, squishing Allen against the cushions – Lavi started poking and laughing at the other's reddening cheeks, gasping and teasing and lost in the apparent hilarity of it all, before, with a choked sound, was promptly shoved from the couch.
Sword: Some would consider it strange, a greatsword that had such a personality as Allen's magnificent Lavi, the blade which sang with sharp wit and infectious laughter and took human form when not called upon for protection and battle; Allen was grateful for such a magical sword, no matter how strange it seemed, for, not only did his weapon give him added strength in his eternal quest for peace within the chaos, but he also gained a precious friend and mentor, and in moments of self-doubt and overwhelming strife, he had two arms and a warm smile to fall into and a tender voice to soothe his fears away in the darkest of hours and lull him to sleep each night with a kiss to his face and a heartfelt, "I love you, my brother."
Clown: Allen took the offered top hat from the other clown, gesturing wildly and pointing to it as the audience cheered encouragement and he waved his fingers over the opening, his painted face pulling into a determined pout as his character, Pierrot, tried desperately to pull forth a rabbit or a bouquet of flowers from the hat like the others had done; Peirrot, however, never had any luck, and Allen fought as smile when he felt the warm fur hidden within, and with a pretend look of despair, he lifted Lavi by the scruff of the neck, the calico cat hanging innocently in the air while the crowd howled in laughter at Pierrot's misfortune and as, right on cue, Lavi batted at Allen's face and leaned forward towards the black button on the clown's chest pocket, where a tiny microphone was hidden, to let out a loud meow.
Cat: Allen smiled to himself as he gently rubbed between the calico's ears, right where he knew Lavi liked it most, and laughed softly as the cat burrowed closer, slightly amazed Lavi was showing such an earnest need for affection; he knew that somewhere, deep down, a wounded warrior lay curled up in pain, lost in a love and a friendship that had cost him a normal human life, a life without his most beloved friend; to see Lavi, who had lost so much, hurt so deeply, snuggle up against his chest, a loud purring enveloping the whole tent, Allen couldn't help but feel so lucky and blessed for such an opportunity to help such a love-sick soul, and pressed a kiss to his forehead, grinning as Lavi's front paws pressed to his heart, and when he whispered into his fur, it felt as though he spoke for both of them: "Thank you for choosing me... I never realized just how lonely I was."
Hum: He woke to humming... humming brought him back to the waking world; a lilting, steady little whisper that thrummed like a heartbeat to his ears, mixed with the heartbeat he lay so close to that it pulsed into him, it was his; the forlorn, wise notes that became his call, his guide back from oblivion and into the safety of another's side... and he blinked, aching, latching onto the softness of that voice like his lifeline, like his reason to breathe, and struggled to raise arms weighed down with the devastation of his ravenged strength to wrap around and gather close his hope, press a clumsy kiss to his heart's cheek, and then lay down again, crying quietly into white angel hair, waiting for oblivion, waiting for death... but neither would come... no, how could they, when Allen, who lay enveloped tight against his chest, hummed the song that would save his life?
Mirror: Neah smirked at the gypsy when he sat down, all languid confidence and self-assurance as he grinned at Allen, the card in question, who had been summoned from his magic home for this moment alone, either to be bartered off to some other magician, or Lavi's newest prize; the hopeful smile on Allen's face showed Neah the Mirror card wished to be Lavi's, and the crafty redhead seemed just as eager to have him – but Neah was nothing if not a shrewd sorcerer, and having created Allen in his own image, he could almost say he was fond of the talented card, so if this gypsy wanted him he'd have to work for it; "What are you willing to pay?" Neah asked Lavi, grinning wickedly over the steeple of his fingers, dark eyes flashing as Lavi leaned back in his chair, sparing him a glance for the first time: "I'll pay anything."
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Hope you enjoyed reading ^^ that's all for now. I'll try to get one more chapter of these put together before I close this story for good. As much fun and beneficial it's been for us, we rarely write prompts anymore (if that wasn't already obvious). But you'll see at least one more chapter, I'm sure, though I won't say when. :) Until next time, take care!