Chapter Twenty-One: Vacation
Summary: Allen goes on a cross-country biking tour in Ireland, where he meets some interesting faces, including a very handsome tour guide. Based off the novel Why I Let My Hair Grow Out. AU.
Genre: Romance
Rating: PG-13
Content: Allen being really OOC, but in a funny way. Also, boys kissing :D
Author's Note: Part of the 100 Themes challenge on DeviantArt. 100 chapters about Lavi and Allen as a couple. Don't like it, don't read it.
Legal Disclaimer: I don't own D. Gray-Man or its characters. They all are property of Katsura Hoshino and I make no profit off these stories.
A Big thanks to: Flicca, Nusku, Hasegawa-san, ChaoticFenris, Crazy Little Feline, Ashe Seraphim, Aion Laven Walker, Ishikawa Yui, sweetpotato1992, MonElisa, NellaXIval, InfinityOnTheRun, ShinigamixGirl, and everyone else for your love and support/favorites/alerts on this fic!
NO, I'm not dead, thanks. Just very busy! But now I'm back and with more LaviAllen goodness just for you! Enjoy~!
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Allen Walker just couldn't understand how he'd ended up in this situation.
Sure, he'd been rebellious. A bit more rebellious than the other teenagers in his small town. He'd dated a boy with a car (although the car was less the problem fro his father—it was the dating another boy part that did it) and then was dumped by said guy, who had destroyed his heart and soul for the remaining three months of his junior year in high school. The destruction of the heart and soul of Allen Walker had made him moody, irritable, and "unreachable" (in the terms of three psychiatrists that his father had urged him to see to discuss his problem) and had pushed his father to the near breaking point. But come the last few weeks of junior year when black clothes just weren't doing it enough (and when seeing Tyki Mikk everyday had just worn Allen down past his breaking point) the boy had taken the most drastic measure of all: dying his straight brown hair pure white.
That had definitely set Mana Walker over the edge.
But that didn't constitute for Mana sending him to Ireland as punishment. And it wouldn't have been bad if his father had sent him to Ireland to just hang out for three weeks. However, that was too lenient, so his adoptive father had taken the liberty of sighing him up for some cross-country biking tour. It did not sound appealing. It was all outside in the heat and the rain of the summer, not to mention that Allen would have to be on a bike all day long which wasn't comfortable for one thing. The second thing was that Allen sort of-really-hadn't ridden a bike since he was nine, and face-planting on the Irish trail seemed highly probable.
So, he had a long eight hour flight in coach on Aer Lingus. After the flight, he was tired, sore, and sick of being gawked at by people around him. Hadn't anyone ever seen someone in all black with white hair before? Obviously not from the way people kept looking and some were even pointing and Allen could have sworn he heard a small boy ask his mother: "Mummy, Mummy! What happened to him?"
Shifting his bag over his shoulder irritably, Allen looked down at the small scrap of paper that he had pulled out of his pocket. On the creased page there was a name hastily scribbled out in blue pen: Shamrock Tours. What a stupid name, Allen thought, looking around at the people in baggage claim. In movies there was always someone waiting with a sign, which seemed really stupid, but effective. And from two carousels over, Allen saw a gaudy green sign with four-leaf clovers all over it, letting him know that the corniness did shift over into reality as well.
Lugging his heavy pack with him, Allen made his way toward the bright green banner, noticing that the sign said the name of the company, but also A. Walker in a curvy script. The man holding the sign caught Allen's attention and kept it longer than the glittery decorations on the poster did. He was tall, redheaded, and extremely good looking, all Irish and leaning back against the railing around a display of something that truly wasn't important in comparison to the really hot guy standing in front of it.
"Hey, you wouldn't happen to be Allen Walker, would you?" asked the boy. Obviously Allen had been standing there too long while staring, grabbing the other's attention. It took Allen a moment to figure out how to speak in English after hearing the other boy talk. He sounded young, first of all, but the thing was that his voice was almost hotter than his appearance. Allen had a thing about foreign accents, no matter how slight they were. While Tyki's Portuguese accent had been quite sensual, this guy's seemed nicer in a different way Allen couldn't quite explain. It wasn't too thick so that he couldn't understand him; it was just right.
"Y-Yes," Allen replied, looking up at him a bit nervously. Were all Irish men that fine? Allen hadn't thought he liked red hair, preferring the darker shades. But maybe it was Tyki who made him think that way (as Tyki liked to make him think and act a certain way to fit in with his "image"—but that was all in the past now) and Allen found that he really found the exotic color to be tantalizing. And then there were his eyes…Allen had to look away, lest be called homosexual right there. It was one of those cliché lines where he could just "drown" in the other boy's eyes; they were just so green and gorgeous. Luckily the boy thrust out his hand in a friendly manner so that Allen didn't have to feel bad about going back for a second look.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Lavi Bookman, yer tour guide for the next two weeks," he replied as Allen shook his hand. He had kind of rough, calloused hands, but they were big and warm around Allen's, speaking of hard work and long days doing strong physical labor. And judging from the smooth curve to Lavi's arm beneath his shirt, he was ripped too. "Let me take that for you, eh?" Allen was so preoccupied with how lucky he was for having such a cute guy as a tour guide that he didn't even think of insisting on carrying his bag himself.
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Lavi drove a huge van that had the wheel on the wrong side and a clutch that stuck going in and out of gear. It was a light shade of green with the name of the tour company on the side, but at least it wasn't as bad inside and Allen was allowed to ride shotgun. Flogging Molly was playing softly through the warbled radio as Lavi drove them from the airport towards the hotel.
"You're the last one to get picked up," Lavi said, making small talk as they drove down the highways out of the city. "All the others arrived the other day and have been drivin' me stark mad because they're anxious to get a move on."
"I couldn't get an earlier flight out," Allen replied, trying not to sound so angry and sarcastic about it. But Lavi just laughed a laugh that nearly made Allen's heart stop because it was just so nice.
"It izzn't yer fault," Lavi said, shaking his head. "'No worries' you Americans say, eh? Anyway, I hope you're in for some good bikin'. The weather looks great for it. Nice and warm."
"Sounds awesome," Allen answered, putting on a fake smile. It sounded awful. But as long as Lavi was there to look at, maybe it wouldn't be that bad? "So do you ride with us or…drive the van?"
"I'm gonna be drivin' the van this trip," Lavi replied, eyes still trained on the road. He patted his left knee, which Allen just noticed had a black brace hugging the joint tightly. "Got hurt on the last one, stupid me."
"What happened?" Allen asked, genuinely curious. Lavi gave a wry little smile, quickly glancing from the road to Allen.
"Let's just say the Leprechauns were a wee bit rambunctious," Lavi replied, making Allen deadpan. Certainly the Irish weren't under some delusion that the small green tricksters were real…? Allen must have been wearing quite the expression, because Lavi laughed again and said: "Oi, I'm just kiddin'. I was ridin' me bike on a wet hillside and wrecked is all. The doc says I'll be fine as new in a few weeks if I'm good to it." Allen nodded in understanding, staying silent for the rest of the journey, only risking a few glances at Lavi when he thought the redhead wasn't looking.
He couldn't help but wonder if he imagined those green eyes watching him back.
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Upon arriving at the hotel (whose name Allen couldn't read or pronounce) all of his fellow travelers were sitting in the common room having a buffet lunch as they chatted amongst themselves. Allen felt more out of place with his punk-like demeanor when he saw the appearances of those accompanying him on the journey. They were all older than him by about ten years and they all looked like higher-class people who were just doing this to fill the time in between their trip to Maui and their vacation in Rome.
As far as he could identify, there were two couples there. The two Asian girls were sitting close together on the loveseat, hands intertwined with their gorgeous black hair falling over their shoulders in a perfect, photo shoot-worthy kind of way. The other couple was by the door: a tall, pale man with a grayish-white streak through his dark hair. Beside him, his rather scantily clad companion twirled one of her blonde pigtails around her finger. In addition to the two couples, there were a few other people, all male: an angry-looking man of oriental descent; beside him a blonde man with a distinctly Australian accent; a tall fellow with big muscles and a piercing stare; a shorter person (that Allen mistook for a little boy at first) who was tossing a soccer ball back and forth between his hands, and an even smaller old man that sat quietly by the empty hearth.
"Miranda!" Lavi said, setting Allen's bags down on the floor by his feet. Everyone continued to talk amongst themselves only pausing to smile at Lavi, who had smiled or waved warmly at them to begin with. Allen watched a bit jealously and then a bit apprehensively when red hair disappeared behind another door, leaving him alone in the room with all the adults to stare at and judge him. But most of them looked a little to busy: the couples with each other, the Chinese man angrily glaring at the two girls on the couch, Soccer-Boy and Big-Muscle Guy speaking about Manchester United and the old man looking at seemingly nothing in particular.
"O-Oh, so has everyone arrived? That's good," said a somewhat shaky voice from the other side of the room. A small, timid looking woman had come into the room via the door that Lavi had left through. She had mousy brown hair, a somewhat pale face, and an air of the deepest unease around so many people. Lavi came back into the room and leaned inconspicuously against the now closed door, listening attentively to the woman. She had no accent, which was strange, but Allen didn't dwell on it too much, listening to her as she began to speak again. "My name is Miranda Lotto and I'm going to be your tour leader on your two week ride across Ireland's beautiful countryside." Half the room looked excited about this. The other half looked how Allen felt: that this was going to be the worst two weeks ever. Maybe Allen was wearing it on his sleeve to much, because while Miranda was going over safety procedures and maps and blah, blah, blah Allen caught Lavi's eyes. The redhead gave him an encouraging smile and Allen took his map with a good show of excitement he hoped Lavi would believe.
Because, damn, he wanted Lavi to smile at him like that again.
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Jetlag wasn't something that Allen had thought about. Which was why he found himself still in the clawed bathtub at two in the morning, the water frigid around him. However, he managed to drag himself out of the tub and into something warm to sleep in. Then he buried into the many blankets that covered the bed and was determined to stay there for the rest of his life.
He was supposed to get up at 6am, but Allen decided that wasn't going to happen and hadn't set his alarm clock. It was 6:20 when there was a sharp knock at the door, startling Allen out of the hazy fog he called sleep.
"What," he grunted shortly from under the quilts.
"We're almost ready to go. Get yer arse up out of bed," Lavi said from the other side, which made the teen fall right out of bed and onto the floor. He heard Lavi laugh softly from the hall, before walking away from Allen's room, his boots sounding heavy in the narrow corridor outside.
"This is so…stupid…" Allen breathed to himself, getting up out of bed. He tripped over his bag going to the bathroom, where he tried to clean up, but his body wasn't working all that well, not being used to the time change and the waking up so early. It was normally the time he went to bed.
After tripping over his bag again going out into the room, Allen pulled the duffel close to him and sat on the end of the bed, opening it up. Mana had tried to be helpful and bought him a bunch of riding shorts that Allen refused to wear. No way was he going to look like some kind of queer idiot riding a bike idiotically across another country. Instead, Allen opted for a pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt, throwing his feet into some sneakers that he didn't bother to tie. Then he packed up all of his things into his bag and left the room, tromping down the stairs with an almost tortured expression. Lavi was at the bottom, tagging everyone's luggage to put into the van. Without looking up from his clipboard, Lavi said: "Breakfast is already had, but there's still some left."
"I have an energy bar," Allen replied, because he did. Besides, whatever had been cooked for breakfast smelt bad and greasy.
"You need somethin' good to eat or else yer going to be sorry," Lavi said, looking up at Allen when he was done with his board. "And stop the lights (1), but you aren't wearin' that, are you?" His green eyes were surveying Allen's choice in clothing.
"Yeah. Something wrong with it?" Allen asked, somewhat of a challenge in his tone. Conversationally, Lavi took a step back and shook his head, going back to whatever was so important on his clipboard.
"Not really. You'll just look like a muppet (2) when we're ridin is all," Lavi replied. Allen didn't have time to wonder why he would look like a deranged puppet in his current outfit, but decided not to ask, handing his bag over to Lavi after he'd grabbed his energy bar. Walking into the living room, Allen felt like he had stepped into some kind of alternate reality where everyone wore brightly colored tight-fitting clothes. And he felt even more confused when he realized that the Asian couple from the previous night was really a girl and a boy and that the young couple apparently knew the other oriental man, who was yelling in Chinese at the two of them, the Australian man trying to keep him from getting physical by holding onto his arms. Big Muscle Guy and Soccer-Boy were watching from the side, as was the other couple, all of them looking like they wanted to help but weren't sure how to.
They all looked ridiculous in spandex.
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1. Stop the lights – lit (I'm pretty sure) is "Oh my God"
2. Muppet – a slang term meaning "dumbass"
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So started the biking, something that Allen hadn't been looking forward to. It was physical and it was hot and uncomfortable. The teen knew that by evening he'd be sitting on an icepack moaning and wishing he was back at home where the biggest thing he had to worry about exercise-wise was going out to get the mail.
"…so Kanda-kun and I decided to go on this biking tour before we have our wedding in November," Lenalee Lee—one half of the previously thought to be homosexual relationship, but now heterosexual couple—said. Her very male (but easily mistaken for female) fiancé rode ahead of them, not listening. It looked like he didn't want to be there, but he was doing it because Lenalee wanted to, which earned him some points in Allen's book. But his bad attitude (for instance, calling Allen a "fucking retard" for absolutely no reason when they were getting their bikes) was something that was a definite negative. Lenalee continued to chatter as they rode down the unpaved path, Allen wincing with every dip that made his family jewels ache. "…but my older brother can't let go, so he's here now…"
"Yes! My beautiful, virginal sister, Lenalee! Don't get married to that beast! Don't do itttttt!" her brother, Komui Lee, cried suddenly, appearing beside them all too quickly.
"Don't tell me what to do, brother!" Lenalee replied heatedly, much different from her friendly tone used before. "I love Kanda-kun! And I'm going to marry him! You can't stop me, ge ge (3)!" With that, she sped away to go ride side-by-side with Kanda, who smirked noticeably over his shoulder. It pissed Komui off and he let loose a crazed sounding snarl, attempting to catch up with them, only to skid off the road and down a small hill away from the party. The Australian man let out a small sigh and went to retrieve him.
Behind him, Allen could hear the other couple—he had yet to learn who they really were, but knew their names were Arystar and Eliade and that they came from Romania—talking amongst themselves about the beautiful countryside or something equally boring. Old Man was riding by himself behind Soccer-Boy and Big Muscle-Guy; the two men were most likely checking out Miranda, who rode in front of them in her red and black spandex body suit.
Allen yawned and as the day went on, he found that it sucked more than he thought it would. Everything looked the same: green hills and grass and more green hills and grass. He was really sweaty by this point too and had a headache from the sun. Then when Komui finally found the right trail again, he only made more of a ruckus, serving to annoy Allen further.
When they stopped for lunch at a small tavern, it maybe got a little better. Nothing looked edible, but Allen managed to eat a small portion of something that Lavi had insisted he try. Their hands brushed as Lavi put something that looked like intestines on his plate. The redhead looked pleased that Allen ate a little, probably not seeing him spit out most of it into his napkin.
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3. ge ge – Chinese for "brother"
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Outside the tavern, everyone wanted to get their pictures in front of it, insisting that it was such a traditionally Irish looking place or some such nonsense. Allen was the designated camera guy, it seemed, and he must have snapped over a million pictures of Lenalee and Kanda. Kanda didn't smile in any of them.
"Oi, Allen," said Lavi as he walked up to Allen, his limp rather pronounced. The teen was standing by himself a little far away from the rest of the group, trying to catch the breeze so he could cool down a bit. But maybe Lavi thought he was looking pensively at the green landscape, which Allen hoped for, so that he seemed more intelligent than just a kid trying to not sweat horribly from all the exercise.
"What's up?" Allen asked, trying to sound casual, wondering what the hell he should do with his hands so they weren't hanging so awkwardly by his sides. The redhead looked at him for a moment, as if confused by the colloquial phrase, but continued without much of a pause.
"Just wonderin' why you weren't playin' tourist with the rest of them," Lavi said, pointing over his shoulder at the group that was still avidly taking pictures of the rest stop. "Don't you want pictures from yer trip?"
"Well…I…" Allen looked down, wondering how he should phrase what he wanted to say. "I sort of didn't want to come on this trip. My dad made me come."
"Ah," was all Lavi said in response, standing close to Allen. The American teen did his best to stay still and calm while they remained there, so close that Allen could smell the other boy's fresh scent. "Well, you should still make the best of it, yeah? Take a few pictures and whatnot. Sometimes you got to look on the bright side of things, hm?" The way Lavi smiled when he said this was enough to make Allen look away with a heavy blush.
"Yeah, you're right…" he agreed, kicking a stone by his right foot.
"So smile, eh?" Lavi said, nudging him in a friendly manner. The American teen did smile and Lavi laughed. "That's the spirit! Let's start that picture-takin' right now." The redhead pulled out a Canon Powershot from a pouch on his belt and held it up, throwing his arm around Allen in the process. "Say 'Ireland'!" Shocked by the contact, Allen could only blush and stare as the flash went off. His arm still around Allen, Lavi brought the camera to them so that they could look at the picture. The screen showed Lavi smiling with his usual, dazzling smile, while Allen appeared somewhat afraid. "Oi, Allen. You've got to work on smilin' more. You look like you're in pain!"
Miranda called from the van that it was time for them to get going, making Lavi's arm fall from Allen's shoulders as he looked back at her. At least while he did that, Allen was able to get a better grip on himself, calming the heat in his face.
"Looks like it's time to go," Lavi said, as he began limping his way back toward the party. "Let's go, Allen!" And because Lavi smiled when he said his name so perfectly with that accent, it took Allen a moment to remember how to walk again.
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So, things had gotten a little better. However, an hour after they'd left the tavern, bad fortune struck.
Old Man had introduced himself as something Allen couldn't remember. He was bad with names anyway, but it was besides the point. Old Man explained that his wife had died a few weeks ago and that, because of the sudden incident, he had been unable to cancel their reservations. Instead of not going, he decided to go on the trip in her honor and something, something, blah, blah, blah. In truth, Allen was trying to not die while biking, so he couldn't quite follow the story as well as he should have been. And, so focused on keeping his balance, the silver-haired teen didn't notice that he was going the wrong way, headed straight for a steep drop off the trail. Well, he didn't notice until after he had fallen down it, flipping his bike and wrecking the front tire on some of the rocks at the bottom. And it wasn't like he gave a crap about any of that, as he had struck his head on something hard and painful.
"Ow…" Allen grumbled, dazedly staring at the sky. After a few moments, he shakily began to push himself up, rubbing his head. Some blood smeared across his dirty palm and he winced, making a face at it. The bike was nowhere to be seen and the rest of his group wasn't…there? "Hey!" he shouted, cringing as it hurt his head even more. "Hey! I'm down here…!" But no one came for him and Allen cursed, annoyed as he tried to stand. It amounted to nil, however, when he just ended up falling again. "Owww…" Lying face down in the dirt, Allen inhaled the scent of the grass beneath him, the throbbing in his head getting worse. No, wait…that wasn't the headache at all, but the sounds of a horse's canter getting closer and closer to him.
"Me prince!" The shout came from nearby and the sound of the horse stopped, giving way to frantic footsteps running towards him. Gentle hands touched his back, turning him over with tender care. The light from the sun hurt and Allen shied away from it, only opening his eyes when it was blocked out by a shadow. Above him was a beautiful face, one green eye looking down at him with intense concern; the other was hidden behind a mysterious eye patch and long, red hair. He looked like…
"La…vi?" Allen asked, confused. The man blinked, his brow furrowing slightly.
"Rabi, me liege," the redhead corrected, touching his forehead. "You've had quite th' spill, haven't ye? What do ye think ye were doin' runnin' off like that an' getting' hurt?" It took Allen a moment to distinguish the words under the thick accent, but even then, he didn't know what to say. The long-haired man holding him sighed, giving him a small smile. "I'm sorry; shouldn't be lecturin' ye an' everythin' but ye had me worried into knots!" Allen still didn't know what to say, not fighting Rabi as he lifted him to a sitting position. The white haired teen reeled forward with dizziness, leaning against Rabi's shoulder to stop the world from tilting like a sick carnival ride. "Aye, tha' looks mighty bad. Lemme have a good look at it…" Gentle fingers parted his hair and then they were gone, replaced with a wet cloth. "Thar we go. Somethin' nice an' cool." Allen sighed in relief, leaning into Rabi's hand.
"Thank you," Allen murmured, his eyelashes fluttering against his cheeks.
"It be me pleasure, me lord," replied Lavi, bowing his head a little. Allen could smell him, the scent reminding him of the red-haired boy who drove the green van with the wheel on the wrong side and the clutch that stuck too much…Gentle lips pressed against his throbbing temple, then against his eyelid, his cheek, moving further and further downward…Rabi's hand cupped his cheek and Allen was looking deeply into one single, green eye as their lips joined in a passionate kiss…
"OI! Someone go get that medical bag out of the van!"
Allen cracked open his eyes to see the same blue sky above him. He could feel the same rocks beneath him. And leaning over him was the same expression that had been on the face of the long-haired, one-eyed warrior that had held and kissed him…
"Allen, can you hear me?" asked the redhead leaning over him. A gentle palm was pressed against the painful area on the side of his head, fingers curled into his short, white hair. In the dream he'd had, his hair had been white too, only long. Long, long, white hair… "Allen." His name was said a bit louder this time and Lavi came into clearer focus.
"What," Allen grumbled, his head pounding.
"Are you all right?" Lavi asked, nice and clear so that Allen could understand him. It was unlike the fast, heavy way that Rabi had spoken. The figment of his imagination was something that Allen had to ignore, lest he fall out of touch with the current reality. Instead, he focused on Lavi and his pretty face and nice voice, not comparing it to the person he had dreamed of while unconscious…
"Head hurts…" Allen replied, closing his eyes. He felt Lavi lean closer to him. "Don't fall asleep, you hear? It's bad for yer health when you have a head wound like that…" Allen shivered at their proximity and Lavi's sweet scent that seemed to fill him with arousal rather than pain. Something warm fell over his shaking body: Lavi's coat. "Don't worry. You're goin' to be okay…"
The next few hours were a blur. Allen vaguely recalled that he had gotten to the van somehow and driven with Lavi for a while before arriving at a hospital. All he could remember about that was that the seat he tried to lay down in was really uncomfortable and that it smelled bad and that when they stitched up the gash on the back of his head, Lavi had held his hand to keep him calm.
When everything had become clear, Allen was in a comfortable bed and it was nighttime. His head felt huge and heavy, but Allen managed to turn it to the side in search of a clock. Instead, he found a mess of bright red hair lying on the beside next to him. Lavi was slumped over in his chair, sleeping next to Allen's side. The injured boy let himself smile a little at how cute it was that Lavi had stayed up with him, keeping watch over him even though it was clearly not his job to.
Allen lifted his hand slightly, resting it atop Lavi's messy hair to move his fingers through it appreciatively. It was nice and soft and Allen couldn't help but wonder what it would look like as long as Rabi's…
"Mm, waizzit…?" Lavi mumbled, waking sleepily. Green eyes met Allen's cerulean ones and Lavi sat up, looking more alert than before. "Allen, how're you?" He looked deeply concerned when Allen didn't answer right away, his hand reaching out to cup the younger boy's cheek. "Allen?"
"'m okay," Allen replied, giving Lavi a small smile as he leaned into the redhead's hand. He was injured and had no responsibility for his actions, so he didn't feel ashamed of any of them.
"How's your head?" Lavi asked.
"Hurts," Allen said, furrowing his brow a bit. That expression made Lavi's thumb softly brush Allen's cheekbone in a gesture of comfort.
"Do you want some medicine for it?" Lavi inquired and Allen nodded. The warm hand fell away from his face as Lavi got up to get the pain killers and a glass of water. Allen took the pills and downed the water, lying back against the pillows with droopy eyes. "That's it. Go and get back to sleep for now…" Not responsible for my actions, Allen thought, smiling innocently at the redhead.
"Laaaviii…" Allen said, dragging out the vowels a bit. He wanted Lavi to be like Rabi: to hold and kiss him again… "Hold me…?" The look on Lavi's face was something that Allen couldn't identify in his semi-delirious state. "…just until…I fall asleep…?" It took Lavi a moment to respond, and it wasn't with words. Instead, he quietly moved his chair away from the bed and lay down horizontally next to Allen.
"Just until you fall asleep," Lavi said, his breath breezing over Allen's hair. He felt the other boy's arm move under the pillows, the other pulling the blanket up over Allen's shoulder.
"Then…I don't…want to fall asleep…" Allen murmured thickly with tiredness.
"Me lord, are ye awake?" asked a thick accent from beside him. Allen's eyes fluttered open to a brightly lit room. Morning already? he thought, blinking at the sunshine. Beside him was a very warm, very nicely built body sans shirt. Against the smooth muscles, long red hair lay like crimson silk. Allen tried not to let his eyes stray downwards, where a light dusting of red hair beneath the navel disappeared under the heavy blankets. "Allen?" Allen looked up at the sound of his name, seeing that it was truly Rabi he was lying next to. That single green eye was deep emerald with concern. "Ye be all right, me lord?"
"I'm fine…" Allen replied, a little breathless under the stare and because of the realization that not only was Rabi naked, but he was as well, and they were lying under the same blanket in the same bed. Oh, how lucky he was.
"Good thing, too. I was worried about ye all night," Rabi replied, his fingers moving to Allen's hair to gently run through the long, silver locks. He moved a bit closer, a long strand of Allen's hair around his hand. "Me prince can't get hurt again." His words were soft and gentle, meaningful as he stared into Allen's eyes.
"'cause there's no one in th' world fer me but ye."
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Allen was woken from sweet dreamland to crappy reality when the headache hit him full force the next morning. However, it wasn't so bad when Allen found that Lavi had spent the night with him. The redhead was sleeping silently, his breaths soft and even. Allen didn't want to wake him and would have been content to just spend the rest of the day in bed with Lavi, watching his eyes move behind the lids as his red hair swayed gently against his cheek with every breath. But this never happened, and Allen's headache got worse when he heard Komui and Lenalee bitching outside in the hallway in Mandarin at each other. The shouting woke Lavi, who appeared confused as to why he was in bed with another boy.
"Ehm…good morn," he said, a bit awkwardly. But he didn't make to move, so Allen figured that it wasn't that bad.
"Morning," Allen replied quietly, rubbing his head.
"Head still hurt, eh?" Lavi asked, eyes watching him with sympathy behind sleep tussled bangs. His fingertips gently moved down from Allen's temple to his cheek in a comforting kind of motion. Allen found it to be rather intimate and tried to keep his shudder at bay when he recalled what he and Rabi had done in dream world; the teen was surprised his pants weren't wet. "Don't worry. I'll get you somethin' for it that won't put you to bed." Lavi sat up and moved as if he were going to get up off the mattress, but Allen, in a somewhat bold move, grasped his wrist to keep him seated.
"Th-Thank you," Allen said, wincing slightly when he heard the shouting in the hall get louder as Miranda tried to keep things under control. "For staying with me…last night…" Allen said the last part quietly, watching Lavi's expression. It shifted to something he wasn't quite sure what it meant and then the redhead smiled at him a bit mysteriously.
"It was nothin', me lord."
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He spent the day in the van with Lavi, driving the unpaved roads of Ireland with an icepack against his throbbing head. Lavi had tried to console him with every possible means of making the pain go away, but nothing had helped. The American teen knew that this was his perfect chance to talk to Lavi about more private matters, and he was determined to do so. And he was also very determined to not bring up the dreams he'd been having about his Hottie McHotHot servant named Rabi.
"So how'd you get into this business anyway?" Allen asked, keeping the icepack behind his right ear where the worst of the pain was.
"Funny story, that one is," Lavi replied, keeping his eyes on the seemingly never-ending road. "See, me mum and da died when I was a lad and so I went to live with me uncle for a while. He was a mean sonavabitch, that he was, and practically gave me to a bloke named Connor O'Brian. Mr. O'Brian had this here bikin' tour industry and paid me a good wage to work for him. When he died, his cousin, Miss Miranda Lotto, took over the place. Apparently, she couldn't get a job anywhar else, but she seems to be good at this no problem, yeah?" Allen didn't see any of the humor in the story, but nodded in understanding.
"So did you go to school at all?" Allen asked.
"A little," Lavi replied. "I can read well and good and I managed to finish high school. College, though…don't have any time—or money—right now."
"Understandable," Allen answered, looking out the window.
"So how is university for you?" asked Lavi.
"Huh?" Allen said, turning slightly to gaze back at him. Lavi had taken his eyes off the road for a moment to look at him seriously.
"Yer university. You're in college, right?" asked Lavi curiously. Allen stopped for a moment, wondering how he should reply. If he admitted he was underage, would Lavi still be looking at him like that with that perhaps-lusty gaze?
"Yeah," Allen replied, watching Lavi's expression relax before turning back to the road. Maybe he was relieved to hear that Allen wasn't a minor after all. "It's nice. I'm still undecided, but it's a good university." Lavi nodded in understanding, but didn't say anything after that.
Allen knew for a fact that those green eyes were watching him now.
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For the next week, Allen spent the trip in the van with Lavi. Doctor's orders released him a few days prior, but Allen claimed dizziness and pain when anyone asked him. Miranda was well and fine to leave him in Lavi's company and Allen was fine to be in Lavi's company and the redhead didn't seem to mind the company, so it was all working out for the best. Especially because Allen didn't have to bicycle anymore. Instead, Allen and Lavi got to know each other better. They listened to almost the same music, had the same taste in books, and enjoyed the same kind of humorous entertainment. And although there had been some more steamy dreams that Allen enjoyed at night between him and Rabi, Allen had his days to spend with Lavi. Instead of the fiery touches that he and Rabi would share, there would be shy, almost nervous glances at each other and embarrassing, awkward stuttering when their hands might brush to turn up the volume on the radio.
"You know, you're named after a prince," Lavi said, one day when they had been talking about folklore. It had moved from Greek and Roman mythology to the folklore of Ireland, where Lavi seemed to be quite knowledgeable.
"Oh really?" Allen asked his curiosity piqued.
"He was the Prince of the Other Folk," Lavi replied. "Faeries, Leprechauns, the whole lot of them. And he was a good ruler, too. Lived a long time 'cause he was a kind mortal who fell in love with a powerful spirit."
"A powerful spirit?" Allen repeated.
"Aye. It isn't clear what he was exactly," Lavi replied with a shrug. Allen's interest piqued further at the mention of the powerful spirit being a "he"—the same gender as the Prince. Were there such things as legends of homosexual lovers ruling a kingdom together? "But he made the Prince happy and the Prince was able to keep the magical kingdom alive for many generations."
"What happened…?" Allen asked, almost afraid to know.
"An evil demon came to kill the Prince, but the Prince's lover prevented it from happenin', mortally wounded in the process of destroyin' the demon. He was dead by dawn the next morn," Lavi answered with an almost sad expression. "Upon seein' his lover dead, the Prince's heart stopped and he died too."
"That's…sad…" Allen said, looking down.
"Aye, it is. But their spirits still are around, guardin' the entirety of Ireland," Lavi replied with a smile. "They're the ones who make everythin' blue and green 'round here."
"What do you mean?" Allen asked.
"Well, it's in the story. It goes like this in Limerick:
A Prince with eyes like clear skies in day,
like a calm sea water's glassy bay.
Lover's eyes, forest green
color as leaves have been
Take their color palette up and say:
"Taketh this color and paint the sky
Taketh this color and paint the rye
Taketh it to the trees
Taketh it to the leaves
And We'll live forever when we die."
"Wow…" Allen said, liking the way Lavi recited it so eloquently. It brought out the niceness of his accent. But then Allen shifted a bit uncomfortably, a burning question on his mind. "Hey, Lavi."
"Hmm?" Lavi asked, his attention back on the road.
"Any idea what his name was?"
"What whose name was?"
"The prince's lover?"
"Well, sure. Everyone knows 'bout him," Lavi replied. "They called him the Great Cathaoir: Rabi."
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The night that Allen found out about Rabi, he was freaked beyond all measures of being freaked out. How could he have been dreaming about someone he had never met and only heard the story that day? And how could he be having intimate relations with a practical national hero? Allen sat on the edge of his bed and held his head in his hands. What was he thinking anyway? Luckily, Allen didn't have to think for much longer, pulled out of his self-deprecating when there was a knock at the door.
"Good eve," said Lavi, when Allen had opened the door. The teen must have looked haggard because Lavi tilted his head to the side and added: "Somethin' wrong?"
"N-No, just kind of tired," Allen replied, stepping back. "Come in." Lavi did so, as he had been doing the past couple nights. Since they had been spending more time together in the truck, most nights Lavi sought more of his company as well, although it seemed a little more awkward in such a private setting. Lavi sat on the edge of Allen's bed and the boy did the same, sitting only a few inches away from the redhead. He was confused and baffled by what he had learned that day, but even more so by what he felt. Rabi was hot, no doubt about it, but Lavi was someone that Allen actually had a deeper connection with (and who was also insanely hot as well). The only thing that helped in the situation was knowing that Rabi was a figment of his sad, sex-starved imagination.
"Allen…" Lavi began, looking over at him so that their eyes met for a long moment. "I…normally wouldn't say anythin', but I…can't not…" Lavi scooted closer—closer—and Allen felt his breath hitch slightly at how near he was to the other boy, his scent nearly intoxicating at this proximity. "I find you incredibly and unfairly attractive." Allen blinked a few times. It was said so clearly and without hesitation that it actually took Allen a minute flush at the words.
"W-What?" Allen asked, a little embarrassed. Lavi's expression fell from open to guarded in a second's time, as if Allen had wounded him with the question.
"N-Never mind," Lavi said, hurrying to stand up. "Sorry I've been botherin' you." Before he could make it too far away, Allen grabbed hold of him, just as he had the night he'd asked Lavi to stay with him.
"No, tell me what you mean," Allen replied, cheeks hot. Lavi kept his back to Allen and the younger boy could see that they were slightly hunched, as if he were waiting for some kind of insult to be thrown his way. "Lavi…are you gay?" The word seemed to echo in the room and Allen could tell that Lavi seemed to cringe away from it.
"What if I am?" asked Lavi after a moment.
"And you like me?" asked Allen.
"What if I do?" Lavi replied.
"Then I'm the luckiest guy in Ireland," Allen said. Lavi turned around and gave him a shy little smile, something that Allen hadn't seen before and found all that more alluring. And it was a bit awkward at first with a lot of apologizing thrown in before they were in Allen's bed making out like the world was going to end the next morning.
Needless to say, Allen had no dreams of Rabi that night, because he fell asleep next to his own redheaded fantasy-come-true.
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It was nearing the end of their trip when they began making their way back to the initial hotel. They were a few nights out from their starting point when everyone decided they were going to go to the local tavern to have a few drinks that evening. Lavi took Allen to the cove instead where they walked together through the waves: barefoot and hand-in-hand. There was a beach towel that they had left on the shore with their shoes that they returned to, lying upon it to look up at the sky.
When stargazing couldn't hold their interest for long enough, Allen found himself under Lavi, the redhead kissing him passionately in the moonlight with the sounds of the waves crashing against the beach as their soundtrack. The calloused palms that held his cheeks so gently soon were roaming down his body and pulling at Allen's shirt until it gave way, exposing the younger boy's chest to the cool night air.
If there was anything that Allen had learned from his experiences with Rabi, it was that Lavi was much more important to him. The ancient guardian of the Other kingdom had made him realize that a good relationship wasn't all about the mind-blowing sex it had to offer. It was about commitment, sharing, knowing the other person so deeply and on so many levels that everything with them was just perfect. And Allen knew that he and Lavi had sparked that kind of bond and that he wanted more of the other boy just as much as the redhead wanted him. But before that could happen, Allen had to be honest, and it took all of his will to still Lavi's hands on his abdomen.
"Lavi…" Allen murmured against the hot lips pressing against his.
"Hmm?" asked Lavi, trying to capture his bottom lip again.
"Lavi, I'm…serious. I-I have something to tell you," Allen said, bit nervously. Lavi detected the tone in his voice and stopped, looking down at him with full attention.
"What's wrong, Allen?" he asked, his eyes straying to the side. "We don't have to do nothin' you don't want to, you know."
"No, that's not it," Allen replied, holding onto Lavi's hand. He looked up at Lavi seriously. A true relationship needed to be like the Prince and his Lover, Rabi had taught him that much. It couldn't be like the way things were when Allen had dated Tyki. It needed to be honest, fair, and consensual, and Lavi deserved to know the truth. "I…lied to you…"
"Lied…to me…?" Lavi repeated, his brow furrowing. He looked a little betrayed, but at least there was no anger there, giving Allen the strength to continue.
"I…I'm not in college…" Allen said, not able to hold Lavi's green gaze for a long period of time. Instead, he looked at the moonlit bit of Lavi's bare shoulder as he spoke. "I'm still in high school. I lied because…I thought you wouldn't like me if you knew I wasn't 18 yet…" Lavi was quiet as Allen explained and after that as well. Allen looked up at him pleadingly. "I'm sorry! I didn't want to ruin something so amazing before it could happen just because I'm one measly year away from being legal." Lavi continued to stare at him, blinking slowly as he processed the information. Then he laughed. And it wasn't a soft chuckle, either. It was a big, howling laugh that Allen felt deserved a good push, which he did, knocking Lavi over into the sand. "What are you laughing at? Don't make fun of me!" Allen said, getting on top of Lavi to slap his shoulder again. At least Lavi wasn't angry…right?
"Oh, Allen…yer hilarious…" said Lavi, after his breathing had begun to even out as he got control over himself.
"What is so goddamn funny?" Allen asked with a pout. Lavi looked up at him with a devious smile, pulling him down for a long, meaningful kiss.
"Age of consent is 17 in Ireland," Lavi replied, cracking up again.
And Allen laughed too.
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The trip was over, but Allen wasn't going home. He had called Mana to let him know that he'd be vacationing in Ireland for the rest of the summer, working for Shamrock Tours. Either his adoptive father had been so angry that his punishment hadn't worked, or so glad that Allen had finally gotten a job, that he didn't argue at all.
"Looks like I'll be hanging around for a while," Allen said, after they had dropped everyone off at the airport for a teary goodbye. Lenalee and Kanda were off to get married in Hong Kong with Komui on the next available flight to try to stop it and Mr Australia not far behind to try to stop Komui from stopping the wedding. Alastar and Eliade were going back to Romania while Old Man and Soccer Boy were returning to wherever it was they were from. Only Big Muscle Guy remained in Ireland with the rest of the group. Apparently the giant man—known now to Allen as just Marie—had gotten into a thing with Miranda, who had insisted he stay. They were really cute and blushed a lot when they looked at each other, which was highly amusing to Allen and Lavi.
"And it looks like everyone found love in the end, eh?" Lavi asked, leaning back against the gaudy green van. Allen smiled, wrapping his arms around Lavi's neck as they kissed against the side of the vehicle.
"So let's go paint the skies blue and the grass green."
It was going to be an amazing summer.
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Ehhh. Not as good as I thought it would be, but, hey. We can't be perfect, can we? I thought it was rather fun to write, considering the fact that I'm procrastinating on studying for midterms! Woo! Probably a bad idea…
Anyway, I'll be back shortly with your next chapter!
Chapter 22 – Mother Nature
Allen and Lavi get sent on a very strange mission…
Peace, love, and prosperity everyone.
Dhampir72