001 10100 Stay

Lavi was sitting on the edge of the roof of a skyscraper. He was staring at the City glittering in bluish lights under the golden stars. It never ceased to amaze him how small the place seemed when you didn't see the empty and unused buildings standing in the maze of streets. When the lights were marking the inhabited space you could really see how few people lived there. And somehow, looking at the glimmering points calmed him down, made him feel at ease. If only in his sleep.

'Knew I'd find you here,' said a merry voice behind him and he didn't even bother to turn towards the owner. 'I didn't even need to follow your trace to get to the place.' Lavi shivered at the very mention of the digital trace. After their near fiasco of a mission he was bedridden for a few days. First he was regaining strength and then he was suffering from the biggest and longest headache he ever experienced. It was the result of Tyki's last brilliant idea: he decided it was better to tinker with his eye and changer the trace. To make it difficult for Them to find him, he said, but his gleaming gaze and a sly smirk said more. Lavi was sure the creep did more than that, changing the programming in more than one way. His brain had to catch up with it. Painfully. It still itched.

'What do you want?' he asked not hiding his displeasure but the girl paid it no heed. She flopped down next to him, the bright smile still stretching her lips.

'Tyki wants you to come by for a checkup,' she said lightly, swinging her legs over the edge like a little girl. 'And, since you don't answer his calls he had to send me over to make sure you get the message.'

'See if I care,' he replied with a snort.

'He also mentioned he's got some new gear for you, to check how it works,' she continued excitedly while he flinched with disgust. 'He said it's a new way to connect that he developed and wants to see it work in normal environment. We're all working in the lab so none of us is suitable but you-'

'He can stick the gear up his ass, if you ask me,' Lavi interrupted her annoyed.

'Would be just perfect for that,' she continued undeterred. 'And he told me to remind you of your little agreement, whatever it was about,' she finished and he gritted his teeth at the words. Fucking goddamn asshole! Freaking son of a bitch! Blackmailer from hell! How- he cut his thoughts short knowing it was no use. It'd change nothing and the creep would still have him in his hands. Fuck this life. Sometimes, he doubted if it was even better than being stuck to the chair in Elliot's place and drowned in the Connex forever.

'Whatever,' he hissed and winced at how familiar it sounded. Damn, he couldn't take over that habit, it spoiled social contacts. The girl was not to blame for his bad luck. 'Just leave me alone.' he sighted out and, with a corner of his eyes, he saw the girl shrug her shoulders indifferently and walk away along the edge of the building. He stared at the flickering lights trying to clear his mind out of everything.

He woke up staring at the black hole of the ceiling in his apartment. He loved the lack on light, blocked by the thick blinds, covering the windows tightly. He loved the silence of his own little space, isolated carefully from the outside world. He loved his self-imposed confinement.

Lavi followed his morning routine in the middle of the day and very fast made his way out of the flat. The sooner he was done with Tyki, the better. Out of reflex he stopped one floor below his flat and almost knocked on the doors to the far right. Almost. He withdrew the hand in time, before it touched the surface, and with a scowl he sped down the stairs as fast as he could. Damn his habits.

He took the subtram circling the outskirts of the City and got off in the West station. After quite a walk he entered the rundown hotel and went straight for the underground levels, opening one door after another with his personal code.

'My, that was fast,' Tyki greeted him with a sly smile. 'I expected you to postpone the visit as much as you could. As I'd let you,' he added heavily.

'I have work today so just get on with it,' he said as indifferently as he could, facing the creep. The man smirked wider but said nothing more, just motioned to the big chair in his own personal lab. Lavi suppressed the shiver that threatened to go down his spine and obliged. Tyki took a seat in front of him and a series of questions and poking and prodding followed.

'It seems the new software has integrated pretty well,' Melo concluded and then reached for a medium sized box at his desk. He pushed it into Lavi's hands and urged him to open it. It revealed a flat and wide metal ring that was big enough to fit a wrist. The surface was smooth and flawless and if it wasn't the certain man's making, the redhead would call it nice. But he knew better then to speak it out loud.

'There is an opening here,' Tyki said and traced his finger along the barely visible jointing of the two parts. With a barely audible click the bracelet parted in a half and spread wider to fit the hand through. With a frown, Lavi pulled it on and repeated the others motion to close it.

The equipment seemed weightless for its size and it was as cold as only steel could be. It was as uncomfortable for him as the headgear was but he knew it was clearly his wicked psychic. He barely listened to the instructions on the functioning, too preoccupied on not scratching off the intrusive cuff around his wrist. He was still fighting away the feeling when he was going back to his place, or rather to the Batcave, as it was already time to get to work. Oh damn, he'd eat something later. Maybe.

He was the first one to get there and to kill time and his thoughts he started arranging the furniture for the night in the club, polishing the glasses and doing all the small and useless things around the bar. He was so deep in thoughts that he never heard to door opening and one of his colleagues walking in. He would not notice them if the girl did not stop right in front of him. He blinked surprised at her and then remembered to smile the brightest smile he could call up onto his face without it being plainly fake. She replied with the same but then said the words that made his heart sink.

'You're not yourself lately,' she said and there was the real worry in her voice that he waved away casually.

'I don't sleep well,' he half-lied and went back to his work. The girl, however, did not leave it there.

'I know what's happening, Lavi,' she said softly. He stifled a snort: she had no idea. 'I know what troubles you and if you want to talk about it, don't hesitate. It would really help, it does. You know, Kanda would-' he turned sharply to her with a really ugly glare that shut her up instantly. He did not want to hear what she wanted to say. He did not want to listen to her petty consolations, no matter how worried or concerned she was. He would not have that as she knew nothing of what really happened. She. Knew. Nothing.

He turned on his heel and walked out of the bar, rage blinding him.

Only, he never made it to the doors. He crashed into somebody standing firmly at the exit. He looked up, clearing his mind and blinking at the displeased frown aimed straight at him and for him only. He stared into the dark eyes he liked so much and feared to see again.

'Yuu, what a surprise,' he exclaimed happily, calling up his best fake smile. 'I never expected to see you here again.' A deeper frown was his only immediate reply. Instead of speaking, Kanda just grabbed his right wrist and pulled the sleeve up, revealing the biting cuff there. Suddenly angry, Lavi tried to pull his arm away but the grip was too firm.

'What are you playing at, idiot?' he hissed sternly. 'You said you'd keep away from the thing.' Lavi glared at him and shoved his hand away from the grip.

'It's not like I had a choice,' he snarled and pushed past him and outside to the fresh air that he hoped would cool down his anger. And despair. He walked swiftly towards the stairs leading down the cliff and to the lake and started his march there. It didn't take long, though, when someone grabbed his wrist and span him around.

'What happened?' Kanda asked frowning and Lavi glared at him.

'Nothing. It has nothing to do with you so don't push into it too much. It's not worth it,' he replied flatly, keeping his anger in check.

'Why did they let me go just like that?' Yuu asked the question he never wanted to hear because he knew he could never lie. He would have to reveal the fucking blackmail Tyki used to assure his faultless assistance. Damn how the guy knew the right questions in the worst moments.

'Because I promised my full cooperation if they let you be,' he confessed and turned away with a sigh. 'I dragged you into this not telling you a damn thing and knowing very well you'd want nothing to do with it. I pulled you into danger that nearly took your life. I don't want any of that to happen ever again. And some things are bound to happen if we keep in contact,' the words he held deep inside fumbled out of his mouth, tripping over each other and he spoke faster and quieter. He hated how pathetic they sounded.

'You never came to the hospital,' Kanda said with a frown, sounding hurt. 'You were avoiding me ever since the fucking mission for that?' Lavi stared at him wide-eyed for a few heartbeats.

'But I fucked your life-'

'Do you see me care?' Kanda cut him through, glaring daringly. 'I'd never meet Alma again otherwise,' he added with a shrug and it made Lavi's heart sink.

'You're gonna stick with him?' he asked before he could stop himself, his stupid, possessive persona showing up suddenly. He bit his tongue too late and now Yuu was frowning at him strangely.

'Idiot rabbit,' he said finally with a huff. 'I'm back to work in Batcave.' Lavi's lips split in the widest grin in an instant. He walked up to Yuu and flung his arm around his shoulder, pushing him back towards the complex. In that one moment it didn't matter that Kanda was putting himself in danger or that Lavi was the cause of it.

'I knew Yuu'd never leave the pathetic little rabbit like me alone,' he chirped away stomping mentally at his doubts and remorse. He'd deal with them later. Maybe. 'Yuu likes me too much.'

'Whatever, idiot,' the other sighted, resigning himself to the hold. 'Just keep the crap away from me,' he added nodding at the digital bracelet.

'I promise,' Lavi said reading more to the grateful tone of the other's voice then to the pretentious words. Maybe, just maybe, he would manage to live this life. Somehow.

AN: So than, it's the end of the story. Thanks for reading, faving and reviewnig.