First things first: It is NOT my fault that it took me so long to update. Britain is to blame. And Pinterest. The latter to making me love Sherlock without being in the fandom and Britain to making the show on the first place. So yeah, now I'm deep in the Sherlock fandom, but worry not, I don't plan on writing anything about them... yet. Well, maybe one because I have a bet going on in Pinterest, but never mind, I'm not leaving DGM under any circumstances!
That being said, I hope you'll like!
They were laying on the bed, breathing unevenly and sweating.
''That was good.'' Allen said as he sat up.
''It was.'' Lavi didn't move: his ass was too sore. ''Where are you going?''
''Tyki-pet was calling before. I don't think it was important, but he's a bitch when I don't call him back.'' He told him as he created two rags for them to clean with. He fished his phone out of the pocket of his pants and called his uncle/older brother.
''I was sleeping, you know?''
''And I was fucking when you called. What is it?'' He said good-naturedly while Lavi blushed fiercely: he knew Noah had a strange (almost nonexistent) concept of intimacy, but that? That was just too much!
''Remember that you have to be at my office at 10.''
''At 10? That's too early!'' He whined.
''It's detention Al, I wasn't going to make it nice to you. And don't be late. Either of you. Good night.''
''Good night.'' After that, Tyki hung up and Allen went back to the bed, yawning.
''So? What did he want?'' Lavi asked as he moved a bit to face him.
''He wants us by 10 at his office tomorrow.''
''But it's Saturday!'' Lavi whined.
''And he's a sadistic bastard.'' ALlen replied as he snuggled a bit more under the sheets. ''Good night.''
Lavi leaned to kiss him softly on the lips, smiling when Allen returned it ever so softly. ''Good night... kitten.''
''Call me that again and I'll kill you in your sleep... bunny.'' The cursed one said, making the other laugh rather nervously: with the track of dead people that he most surely had had on his back thanks to been part of the Noah clan, that did make Lavi a bit itchy. ''Just kidding. Bookman is scary, so I won't leave him without his dearest apprentice.''
''Good to know.'' He said before closing his eyes too, falling sleep, smiling softly when Allen did snuggle against his form a bit.
Next morning, Lavi was running through the corridors to get to Professor Mikk's office: they were already fifteen minutes late. On the other hand, Allen was still eating his toast, grumbling and scratching his head, with no hurry at all.
''Sorry for the delay!'' Lavi yelled opening the door.
''Just... go sit down.'' Tyki said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. ''Where's Allen?''
''Probably still on the first floor...'' Lavi said as he sat down next to Kanda.
A few minutes later the door opened again and Allen came in, still scratching his head as he tried to accommodate his hair to his liking.
''...Morning.''
''You are late.'' Tyki said, sternly.
''When have I ever been in time?'' Allen asked as he flopped down on the first chair he found.
''He does have a point.'' Wisely said from his chair: his state wasn't much better than Allen's, it seemed that he had been sleeping on the table until then.
''I know he does. I wonder from whom did he got this habit.'' He growled and Allen flashed him an evil smile.
''I do believe from your boyfriend, Tyki-pet.'' Tyki grumbled something in Portuguese that made both Noah and Lavi snicker.
''Anyway, you five are going to be here for 3 hours... in complete silence, doing nothing but writing an essay about the butterfly El Segundo blue. You've got the books over there.'' He pointed at a table next to the door.
Allen and Wisely shrugged and went to get the books.
''Is he... Is he serious?'' Alma asked to the teen Noahs.
''Yeap. You are lucky this is your first. For is like... what, the hundredth-and-something?'' Allen sighed.
''And twenty-seven.'' Tyki added, smirking.
''What?'' Kanda said, looking at them.
''This is how I punished them when they misbehaved when they were kids.'' Tyki told him, smirking. ''And they misbehaved a lot. Now, start writing.''
Allen and Wisely, already familiar with their punishment were doing their essay quite fast. Lavi could read faster than any of them and memorise it, so he it was an easy work for him too, Kanda was dedicated enough to find the answers he needed and Alma was just enthusiastic enough.
''Hand them to me.'' Tyki said when the three hours went by. ''And let's go get lunch, c'mon.''
''Really?'' Alma asked, eyes shining.
''I'm not that bad. Let's go.'' They followed him, chatting about this and that.
''So, are you excited for you upcoming presentation?'' The only adult asked once they had arrived at the restaurant and were waiting for their food.
''Yes, they are.'' Allen and Wisely said at once.
''Not talking to you two.'' They rolled their eyes in the exact same way and it was then that the other three teens did realise that they really were family: they had just noticed before that much, the way they moved, the way the talked... everything.
''I am! I've never been to one and none of my masters has ever told me what it's discussed in them.'' Alma exclaimed. ''Nor who really goes there.''
''I just want to go to rub on Lee's face.'' Kanda said, shrugging.
''I wanna go so I can finally know what is it that the Curse clan do. I mean, I know what all the other clans do, more or less, but Jiji just refuses to tell me about them.' He glared at Allen, who shrug.
''Not my fault.'' The bi-colour-eyed teen said. ''But let's just say that the Curse clan and the Bookman don't have a really good relationship.''
''Why?''
''Hum... I am not really sure if I'm entitled to tell you this or not...''
''You have to tell now, Allen! We are all curious!'' Alma said.
''Alright. So there were those four guys from the Bookman clan who tried to outplay the Cursemen on getting a specific object –which I'm not allowed to tell any of you or dad will have my head–, anyway, when the Cursemen found out they well...'' He dragged his thumb through his neck, rolled his eyes and let his tongue dangling on one side of his mouth.
Mikk and Kamelot shared a glance: Allen did not seem to realise he had called Cross 'dad' and they didn't want to bring it up, but they were not going to mention it.
''You killed them?'' Kanda asked in an amazed whisper. ''I didn't know the Cursemen clan did... that sort of thing.''
''No. Not usually. That's more on the line of the Noah clan but we do take care of our private matters. Especially if they try to sneak in our HQ.'' He grinned darkly, but his face quickly changed when his food was placed in front of him. ''Have a good meal!'' He said before starting to devour his food.
''Did you not feed him before coming here?'' Alma asked.
''I did. He almost emptied my fridge! I just don't know where they store all the food in their house!'' Lavi exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air.
''In the basement.'' Tyki told him. ''They've got a basement full of 'just-in-case-Al-is-hungrier-than-usual' food and wine for Cross.'' Tyki confided him.
''We'll make place for your Lua and Porto, Tyki-pet.'' Allen said and laughed when he, once more, succeeded on making him blush. ''When is the meeting? Shisho mentioned they would have to rearrange it because of the Exorcists.'' Allen said.
The Noah looked at each other and shrugged. ''We don't know, the Earl and Neah are going so they didn't bother on telling us.'' Wisely told him.
''I'll call uncle.'' Allen said. ''And I still need to convince Him to tell me all this stuff instead of dad.''
Tyki arched an eyebrow when he realised that Allen had not starting calling Cross dad but was fluctuating between 'dad' and 'Shisho', as if he didn't care what he called him, as if both meant the same for him, which they probably had been for a long time, but without him knowing it.
''I'm back!'' Allen yelled as he opened the door after having accompanied Lavi to his house with a promise of going there at some point the next day.
''Living room!'' Cross replied and Allen trotted there seeing his master on the phone and playing with Tim and the panda. He kissed his cheek and sat next to him, opened his laptop and put on the Sherlock series, Tim jumping to his head and staying there, staring at the soundless images as the boy was using his headphones. ''What were you saying, Neah?''
''Just that you two should come over one day so we can have a nice, completed family dinner. I can't believe you've been here for months and we've still haven't got the chance to do so.''
''Sorry. Too many shit have happened.''
''And are you happy with how all of this turned out?''
''More than you can imagine.'' He smiled as he picked up the red animals and put it in his lap, petting it.
''I'm happy for both of you, but...''
''If I ever hurt him again you'll kill me, I know, I know, but you have nothing to worry about, I'm not. Not again.''
''Good. I'd hate it if Allen hated me. By the way, how is he?'' At that, Cross stared at his pupil, messed his hair a bit and went to the kitchen, the panda on his shoulder.
''He's screwing with the Bookman boy and probably he still has to realise that Lavi is in love with him. And... he called me dad, yesterday.''
''He did!?''
''Yeah. I think he was expecting me to kick him out or beat him. I don't think I have never seen so nervous since he was kid.''
''You Marian's...'' Cross could see him shaking his head. ''Always expecting to be kicked out.''
''We don't have a good track on being accepted, do we?'' Cross replied chuckling.
''I guess not. Anyway, I have to leave in favour of going to convince Adam of attending the meeting. Is Allen coming, too?''
''Yes, he is. As a General, this time. They might send someone from the clan to come with us, who knows.'' He replied. ''Anyway, we have business to do and so do you, so see you on... Wednesday?''
''Sounds perfect. Good bye.''
''Bye.'' He walked back to the living room, sitting down next to his protege. ''Idiot apprentice.'' He said, but ALlen didn't react to him. ''Allen!'' He elbowed him and the boy looked at him, confused.
''Huh?''
''We need to go to the Market, with Raj. He called me before, says he wants to talk with us about something.''
''Oh. Ok.'' He shut the laptop close and followed his master. ''Who were you talking with on the phone?''
''Your uncle.''
Allen just looked at him, unamused. ''Which one of them?''
''Neah, who else? Wanted to know how you were doing. And we are having dinner with them on Wednesday.''
''Really? That's awesome!'' The boy beamed as he opened the door and the two animals hoped right in. ''Its been ages since we had a complete family dinner!''
''I know. Road will be happy.'' The elder said before he sped off to the market.
''She will.'' He replied as he turned on the radio and sang along with it.
They knocked on the door and it opened without either of having to say anything. ''They learning at last.'' Cross said as his pupil only hummed in response. ''Raj.'' He said to their main organ buyer in the English market.
''Sirs.'' The man bowed. ''I'll have to ask you to leave, Mr. Eriksson.'' He said to the one client that was in his store at the moment.
''What? I'm your major buyer Raj, and you dare to kick me out?''
''He's not the one asking, we are.'' Cross said. ''And if you want to keep buying here I suggest that you live right now.''
''And you are...?''
''The providers.'' Allen replied smiling sweetly at him.
''I'll be leaving right now.'' The man said before disappearing: no one messed with the providers, they could cut you off of whatever you needed with just a text, a word, maybe even a snap of their fingers.
''Thank you.'' Cross said as he slammed the door right after Mr. Eriksson had got out. ''Now, Raj, down to business.''
''Yes sir.'' They sat down, the owner of the shop giving them two glasses of his best scotch, after that he went to the back of his store and came out with a heart... covered in a red glass-like material. ''This morning I went to check on the last material you sold me... I found this. What is it? A new conservation technique?'' He asked as he handed the arm to the Cursemen.
''It's not. We've been having trouble with someone who has been damaging our material... Will keep this and we will get you two new arms. We'll give ourselves to you, no middlemen this time.''
''Not a problem sir. It's not like I'll be heading to bankrupt just because of one arm. You keep it and find out what's going on.''
''Are you sure?'' Allen asked.
''Of course. You have always been kind to me, sirs. I'm just doing the same.'' He nodded his head once before standing up and giving them a box.
''No need for. Allen will just bring to our house, we will examine this further and tell you about the results. Please, do call us if anything else happens.''
''Of course, Mr. Marian, sir.'' He bowed as he put the box away and watched, mesmerised, how Allen did make the arm disappear. He had seen the albino perform magic before, but it always seemed amazing to him. ''Is there anything I can do to help?''
''Not for now, if anything comes to mind, we'll call you.'' Cross said as eh downed his drink and stood, Allen following him, silent. The kid didn't spoke much in their meetings if Cross was there, he let his master do most of the talking.
''Very well, sit. Have a nice evening.'' He said as he walked them to the door.
''Dad?''
''Hm?'' Cross was looking through the microscope trying to figure out what was the red glass thing.
''Let's go have dinner somewhere.'' He said, his cheek resting against his master's back as he left the book he had been reading on his lap.
''We need to find out what this is, Allen.''
''Aren't we going to the HQ in two weeks? You can just examine it there with the other Generals. C'mon, let's go have dinner. Please?'' He said, now turning and draping himself all over his master's back.
''Alright, I need to ask you something of vital importance, so we can do it over dinner.'' He replied but gave no more information away, which made Allen frown: his master usually took the important by himself unless it was something he knew Allen wouldn't like or that he could help at, like with their books, but not when it was related to the clan. True, Allen was one of the Generals, but he was the youngest and his master had been there almost twice the time he had been, so why ask him?
But he didn't ask for further information, whatever it was, Cross would tell him in time.
''Really? Awesome!'' He kissed the redhead's cheek and stood up, stretching.
The elder chuckled as he too stood up and followed his apprentice to the car, sitting on the passenger's seat. ''Where are we going?''
''Angelo's. I want pasta today.'' He looked at him and Marian shrugged: he liked everything, so no problem.
Once they were there, sitting and eating/engulfing, Cross decided to ask him.
''Allen. I need to ask you something.'' He said, and sensing it was important the teen actually stopped eating in favour of listening to his master.
''What is it? Is it something from the clan?''
''What? No, no. It has to do with Tyki.'' The Noah narrowed his eyes at him, obviously reading him.
''You are nervous. And scared... You never get scared! What's going on? What are you going to do to Tyki? Are you about to dump him?''
''Why do you always think I'll dump him?'' The man asked, crossing his arms.
''Shisho, I know you the best out of all the we know, and your record of dumping people? Makes me think. Especially if you are scared. So what is it? And then even bother on trying to hid something from me. I can see you very clearly, now.'' He grinned like a fox and Cross gulped: so the boy learned how he hid his emotions with just a day, huh? He taught him well.
''Alright. What I wanted to ask you is related to Tyki's present.'' At that, the albino leaned on the table, towards him. ''Oh? So now I have your full attention?''
''Of course. What is it?'' Marian chew his lips, Allen watching him with an amused half-smile plastered on his lips. ''We do have all day, Shisho. And I'm not going anywhere until you tell me.''
''Have I ever told you how annoying you can be?''
''Every other day.'' He was grinning now, the look of mischief never leaving his eyes. ''Ok, what is it that you want me to ask about Tyki-pet? Are you going to ask to marry you?'' His eyes had lit up, suddenly.
''No. No. Not yet. But close enough. I... am going to ask to move in with us. But only if you are okay with it.''
''Really?'' He was bouncing on the damn seat. Seriously, after all the time they had spent together one would think they would know each other to the root, but Allen just went from one extreme to the other, when it came to personalities. Had he not run a multiple-personality test on him, he would have thought he did have a mental disorder.
''Yeah. You are ok with it, then?''
''Why wouldn't I be? You know I love Tyki-pet!'' He rounded the table and hugged him, smiling. ''And don't worry, he won't turn you down.''
''How do you know?''
''He loves you to much. And me. Obviously. Besides, whenever he's with you he is bathed in pink and red... Don't look so smug, Shisho, you do too. And he isn't that bright when you are apart. How are you going to ask him?''
''I have no idea yet.'' He sighed as he stole part of his pupil's pasta, grinning when Allen didn't retaliate.
He smiled softly at his pupil, knowing he was looking at him directly: he just wished that Tyki really accepted his offer. They could be a family. A real one.
Did you like it? Next chapter the meeting will finally happen! And something will learn something really important form Allen!