The irony was funny. Had the circumstances been different, perhaps the boy would have figured otherwise. He put himself here, offering his wrists and practically begging to be taken away. Lavi sat where Allen had, and the feeling of nothing but his own presence and the cold from the cobblestone ground slowly becoming more prominent. The tune came easy to mind, and he filled the silence with a soft hum. The lullaby was a small comfort. They let their eyes wander the dimly lit room, taking note that the far wall had been repaired. It was nothing short of a miracle that it had been fixable, considering the damage his hammer was cable of. The thought had crossed their mind whether or not this was actually the same cell, as they were predictably identical.
Lavi's hands were not confined, so moving about was an easy enough task. His innocence had been his hammer. Take away the weapon and no threat remained. Lvellie seemed confident enough in his decision.
Lavi could make out some noise coming from behind the door. The hinges sounded through the small room and a silhouette of another hurried through the door, closing it quietly.
"Why did you come back?" Lavi was taken aback for a moment, but found the question amusing.
"Why did I come back?' That's a good question. Why do you think? I'm curious." Komui wasn't pleased with the red head's air of carelessness.
"Do you think this is a game? There's no telling what Lvellie has up his sleeves, let alone what he has planned for you." Komui took a breath, leaned into the wall across from the boy. His voice was barely audible.
"I can't protect you here. The Director will do as he pleases." A pause. "Why did you come back?" This time around the question sounded more defeated than angry.
"After evaluating the better option, I realized that either way, something had to happen." In the dark, Komui could hear Lavi's grin leave.
"If I stayed at the Inn with Mary, I'd have a safe enough place to sleep. Friendly faces to greet me. But it didn't feel right."
"Allen?" the other offered.
"Yeah, Allen. It's funny, Komui. It took being hunted by the Order, on the run, wanted, to realize where I was most happy was a simple hole in the wall bar. Common people, and predictable days." Komui listened, but something didn't make sense still.
"You had to know there wasn't anything for you here. I guess I'm still unsure why you chose to hand yourself over to the Director," he asked. Lavi followed the man's train of thought.
"Even if I stayed, with Mary that is, Lvellie would never have believed us dead if I hadn't come back. He needed proof. Even he's sure to believe I wouldn't leave Allen if he were alive."
"How did you figure Lenalee into this plan?" His tone had changed slightly. Lavi treaded carefully.
"She wasn't supposed to be there when I turned myself in. Let alone when I told Lvellie that Allen was dead. It's why I chose so early that morning to turn myself over." Lavi was confident before that he had planned for any loopholes, but he could see now that he had been wrong. Komui sighed, feeling no more at ease than when he entered the room. He stood, reluctant to do what he had come for.
"I'm ordered to bring you to the director." Lavi didn't protest. It was inevitable. He stood slowly, making sure not to trip in the dark.
"Lead the way."
He wasn't sure if the thing flying above him was actually there or his imagination. The colored blur got closer, the motion making their head hurt more than it already was.
"Timothy! You're not helping." Someone yelled.
'Timothy?' The boy wondered. The voice was familiar even in a half-conscious state; the name.
"Allen. I know you're awake." The voice again. The boy's mind still waking up and very much eager to go back to sleep tried to place this person who seemed rather impatient.
"Open your eyes. All the way." This person sounded sad, and it felt out of place from their seemingly favorable loud personality. Allen slowly, but surely opened his eyes.
"How could I not remember you?" He thought.
"I'll make sure you don't forget me. Maybe another sparring match will help." This had his attention. Allen laughed.
"It's ok Fou. I assure you that I do not need a sparring match to remember you."
"Baka," The girl muttered, her arms crossed. She took the seat that sat by the bed.
"You can just come out and say that you were worried about me, you know."Fou turned away, stubbornly.
"I was not worried." Allen watched her, amused by her tough act. It kinda reminded him of Kanda. Only her poker face was worse than Kanda's. Allen tried to sit up and found it wasn't going to be easy. Admitting defeat before he aggravated anything that might be hurting, considering he lay in an infirmary bed. He'd grew accustomed to them after his last visit to the Asian Branch. It wasn't nearly as comfortable as the bed Mary had let himself and Lavi use.
"Can you help me sit up?" Fou nodded and moved to do so. "Thanks." Fou looked away again.
"You're doing it again." Allen's smile fell, confused with the girls mood change. "You aren't really smiling. I can tell." Allen understood. He hadn't worn his mask in a while; simply for the fact that he hadn't felt he had to. Lavi was to thank for that.
"I'll let you get some rest. You'll need it," the girl stated, simple and to the point. Fou abruptly began to make her leave.
"Fou, wait." Her back was to Allen, fighting the urge to turn around. She wouldn't cave.
'I'm not overreacting,' Fou told herself.
"I'm sorry if I made you worry. If it helps, i'll try harder to be more honest with you."
"That's not what i'm frustrated about!" she snapped. Deciding it would be better to actually look her friend in the eyes, even if her stubbornness told her otherwise, Fou met Allen square. Allen's face read what she expected to see; confusion, yet patient.
"I'm not frustrated because of that. You lie to yourself, trying to convince yourself that everything is ok. It's not! And that's ok." Her raised voice dropped. "I just want you to be happy. You act like nothing bothers you, but I know that's not true. I want to help you." She stayed still where she was. That smile again.
"I told myself I wouldn't cry," she mumbled. Allen, having let his friend finish, slowly moved to the side of the bed, letting his legs fall over the edge. Slowly, he put a little weight on his feet. He hadn't been sure if he had the strength yet to walk to the girl, but it was never too late to try. Fou, observing what the other was trying to do, took quick action.
"You're going to get yourself killed if you don't stay in bed!" Allen knew she was right. He wouldn't make it far. He could feel it. Allen's demeanor became more lax.
"Compromise with me then. Come over here so I don't have to come to you. I can't watch while someone is crying and not help you silly," he stated warmly; his tone sincere. Fou didn't care about looking weak right then. There were times to cry and there were times to smile. Things were not perfect, but it could still change for the better. She came, head down, and shuffling her feet. Letting her child-like emotions go, Allen learned that maybe Fou was right. If someone like Fou; a strong willed, sometimes stubborn personality could cry and embrace their troubles instead of pushing them away, why couldn't he himself do the same? She let the boy hold her, still sitting on the edge of the bed.
"I'll be more honest with myself and you. Bak and the others too. Thank you Fou. You've always been good at kicking me into place. And one hell of a sparring partner might I add," he smirked.
"I do my best," Fou smiled into Allen's shoulder.