Byul (Jessica) & Hoshi (Karter) note: Alright, time for a bit of honesty here. For a long long while, we lost our muse for this fanfic. Honest reviews were barely trickling in even when we did post new chapters. We hardly checked our email. Hardly logged in. We were also busy with college and family matters, but for the most part we were just...uninspired. We weren't thinking of dropping it, no no, but this chapter wasn't supposed to come out this soon. It would have come out much much later if it wasn't for one particular review. We were hanging out and decided "Why not check our email just in case?" And we're so glad we did. There, we saw one new review. Just one. Reviews have just said "Nice chapter" or "when's the next one?" or maybe a one sentence thing saying how much you liked it. Not that we don't appreciate those too because we do. A lot. But they didn't really drive us like the first reviews we ever got, you know? Anyways, this review by KyynelPuro was a bit short, yes, but it was honest to a tee. Genuine to the max. They told us how they loved the story, but they did something that only a few others have done. They told us they were coming back to keep reading our story. That they loved it so much that they wanted to be in it. And this one simple review sparked our fire again. So thank you, KyynelPuro, and everyone else who's reviewed and stuck with us through our lag. We love you all so much. Thank you!

K: I'm actually running out of things to put on these little ramble notes
J: Well, might as well tell them the truth then.
K: I guess. Confession time guys...
J: This fic only has 3 chapters left AT MOST
K: Probably only two
J: We're not saying goodbye just yet though!
K: Yeah, we still have Show Biz: Behind the Scenes, Show Biz: Backstage Pass and Show Biz: Act II!
J: And we're planning a GrimmIchi fic (Accidentally in Love) in between/during all of that. It'll be purely for lulz with minimal plot so it'll be where Karter can vent his writer's block for other stories away.
K: Hopefully that strategy will work
J: Also, you may have noticed that we changed from stargyaruz to kawaiiasfuuuck. We're going through a slight image change and are trying to get a bit more serious about our fanfics.
K: As a result, we are no longer going by the pen names Byul and Hoshi, but will be going by WhichJessica (Jessica) and Akumakuma (Karter/Kitkart) respectively.
J: Well, on to our actual fic!

Show Biz: Act I

Scene XII:
Our Remedies Oft In Ourselves Do Lie

Kanda kept true to his word. He never spoke about that incident again. Strangely, he didn't want to. Lavi had hurt Allen, but Lavi hadn't hurt Allen. Even though Lavi had broken his promise, Lavi hadn't broken his promise. All the technicalities were confusing to him, so he just kept quiet and let things play out.

'It's not like I'm helping that stupid rabbit. No. No no. That's not it. I'm doing this for Allen's sake. Allen's!' Kanda told himself. Of course that was true...mostly. The fact was...it's not like he had ever outright hated the hyperactive idiot. He got this weird feeling of empathy once he saw Lavi having such a bad meltdown. Along with this strange sense that they had come from similar backgrounds. It didn't stop him from wanting to punch his face in every time he saw him, but he at least had the decency to keep his mouth shut. Now covering for Lavi...that idiot was on his own.

Lavi had a hell of a time explaining to a frantic and manic Lenalee about his severely bruised left eye (Kanda grinned in satisfaction at the memory) and squirmed as he lied through his teeth about tripping and hitting the arm of a chair. She gave him a few dubious looks and grilled him a bit more, but let it go on account that she needed to hurry and take him to the medical center since the swelling wasn't going down.

As for how Allen was handling all of this...surprisingly well. Allen had thought he'd be more traumatized after the whole experience. After all, he'd nearly been...

He shook his head. Every time he started thinking about what could have happened he just felt worse and worse. He was getting by though. Allen was stronger than he looked. The worst hadn't happened, and that was that. Bygones, as they say. There was nothing that was going to erase the past, and he saw that Lavi had beaten the demons inside him somehow. Still. Things had changed between them.

Allen sat alone at the table, picking at his breakfast. He had gotten up too early and had already completed his exercises and showered and gotten dressed and for once he just...wasn't that hungry. He'd only managed to eat five bowls of cereal. He pushed his cheerios around in his bowl, staring blankly ahead and thinking of nothing in particular. Then he heard shuffling from behind him. He turned in his seat to see Lavi standing in the doorway, fidgeting awkwardly and looking at his feet as he picked at the eyepatch he now had to wear over his left eye.

"Uh...can we talk?"

"...Sure."

Lavi took a seat next to Allen and sighed. "What a mess I've made, huh?"

"It wasn't yo-"

"Technically it was," Lavi interrupted harshly.

"Don't do that yoursel-"

"Allen!" he said loudly. "...Just...let me talk okay?"

Allen nodded slowly and stayed silent.

"When I was younger, after my parents divorced, neither of them wanted to keep me." Allen's eyes widened and his fists clenched in shock and anger, but again, he stayed silent. "I was passed around for a long while, from family member to family member and – when they ran out – from orphanage to orphanage. They think that's when it started happening. I started...changing. They couldn't tell at first because I acted differently at each place, but eventually it got so bad that I'd switch every day."

Of course at this point Allen knew exactly what Lavi was talking about.

"Your personalities...?" he risked saying. Lavi just nodded and continued.

"For most of them I can remember them clear as day. A lot of them were okay, but there were some bad ones. And there were some terrible ones. Some scary ones...but there was one...whenever he took over I couldn't really remember what happened. After all these years the memories have come back to me little by little, but there's still one day I can't remember. And it's one of the most important ones in my life, because that's when Gramps came from whatever country he was staying at and took me in."

He leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. "The story from there is relatively normal. He paid for my treatment and school and everything. And when I expressed an interest in his business he accepted me head on. Taught me everything I know. Helped spread my name. He's the only one I can really trust, you know...?"

Of course Allen knew. He understood that feeling better than anyone. Maybe that's why he got along so well with Lavi. They were alike in a lot of ways.

"...So what went wrong?"

"We missed one. Hiding away somewhere in the corner of my mind. As simple and stupid as that."

"Is it over?" Allen asked. He meant it as a question about Lavi's problem, but there was a double meaning behind it. And Lavi understood.

"For now...Yeah, it's over...all of it. I'm sorry Allen. The feelings I had for you..." Lavi whispered as his eyebrows furrowed and he donned a painful smile, "Those feelings weren't even mine."

"Is there any chance..." What are you going to ask, Allen? If it'll come back? So, what, you can get back together? Yeah, right... "Never mind. It's in the past. And honestly Lavi, I think we both knew. That this...us...we wouldn't work out."

Lavi was surprised at how little that statement hurt. Because it was true. And because he cared enough to let it go. He did care. He cared a lot for Allen...but not the same as that other twisted self had cared. His kind of caring was more like family than lovers.

"Yeah...so what now...?" Allen asked, feeling strangely satisfied by the whole conversation. It was a sort of closure, he guessed.

"Bygones?" Lavi suggested, not wanting to drag this out more than necessary. He wanted to get Allen's forgiveness, but didn't exactly know how. This was the only thing he had in mind.

"Bygones."

They smiled at each other like little kids and chuckled nervously. Allen was about to suggest they get something to eat when a deep voice said from behind them:

"Fuck that."

Both of them turned around in their seats to see the one who'd spoken.

"Kanda!"

"Yuu-chan!"

"Don't call me that dammit! I still don't like you. And Allen, what the hell? After everything this guy's done you say 'bygones'?" Kanda growled.

"Yeah. Yeah I do. And I think you need to stop being so angry at everything!" Allen retorted as he stood up and faced Kanda.

"Are you an idiot, moyashi?"

"So what if I am? At least I'm not some unforgiving jerk, Bakanda!"

"Uh, guys...?"

They both whipped their heads around to yell at the quivering red-head.

"Shut up, stupid rabbit!"

"Stay out of this, Lavi!"

They turned back to face each other, teeth grinding.

"Che, anyways, being unforgiving is better than let people hurt you left and right."

"Is that what this is about? He didn't even do anything to you!"

"But he did something to you dammit!" Kanda yelled before realizing what he'd said. "Che! Why do I even bother."

"...Kanda..." Allen trailed off after realizing that Kanda was angry for his sake. No one had really ever done that before. How was he supposed to react to something like this?

"You think I don't regret it?" came a quiet whisper.

Allen and Kanda once again turned towards Lavi as they heard him speak up.

"Because I do. Even though that thing wasn't me it disgusts me to think that it used my hands to hurt someone I care about. To think that that's even possible. That it may come back...it scares the hell out of me! But I'm not going to stop being friends with Allen. That would make you an asshole and me a coward, and where would it leave him?" Lavi concluded.

Kanda was fuming, wishing he could yell at the stupid rabbit and say something back, but he just couldn't. Because it was true. He knew, really, that if it could have been helped none of that would have ever happened. Lavi may have been annoying, but he would never have stooped so low. Not willingly. It's just...he would never admit it out loud, but Kanda had been scared that night. He'd been terrified that he would be too late to stop something bad happening to Allen. But he sure as hell wasn't admitting any of that out loud. Instead, he settled for throwing his arms in the air before crossing them and muttering something about stupid animals and vegetables and how much they'd messed with his life.

Lavi blinked and realized that he'd gotten through to Kanda, but he was just refusing to accept it at the moment.

He smiled and said, "Don't be like that, Yuu~"

"Call me that again and I'll rip you apart!"

"Lavi is right, Kanda."

Both of them turned towards Allen, everyone getting a strange sense of deja vu. If someone was watching from afar, it must have looked like they were all just taking turns whipping their heads towards each other.

"I am...?" Lavi said, not expecting any input from Allen about it.

"He is?" Kanda growled.

"Yes and stop scowling or your face will freeze like that," Allen quipped.

"Will not," Kanda said back, though his face turned comically blank. Allen held in a chuckle as Lavi covered his with a cough.

Allen rolled his eyes and continued, "You two need to come to an agreement. Kanda I know you know Lavi is a good friend, no matter how much you deny it. Lavi, you need to stop messing with Kanda unless you want him to follow through on his threats."

He saw the retorts coming before they even started, "No buts! This needs to be done or this whole company will fall apart..." He snapped his fingers. "I know! How about a pinky promise?"

"What the fuck, are you ten? I'm not doing that!"

"Oh come on Yuu!"

"Stop fucking calling me that!"

"I would have already if you'd done the pinky promise!" Lavi sing-songed as he held out one of his pinkies.

Kanda looked at the offending appendage in disgust. Then back at Allen who was giving him this fucking face that did weird things to his stomach. Then back at Lavi's stupid pinky, like his arm would fall off and rot if he touched it. Then back at Allen. And he sputtered like a frustrated cat.

"Mother. Fucking. You. I. Ugh. Just...Just get it over with," Kanda said darkly as he grimaced and hooked Lavi's pinky with his own.

Then both of them said at the same time, "Pinky Pledge! If you're lying, I'll make you drink a thousand needles and cut your finger."

"...? How do you know that chant...?" Kanda asked, not really knowing why he used the Japanese pinky promise pledge in the first place.

"...I'm getting this weird deja vu feeling..."

In unison, they both seemed to come to the same conclusion. Lavi's eye went wide and he pointed frantically at Kanda and Kanda's eyes widened at the sudden realization.

"It was you! The girl at the orphanage!"

"No. No it wasn't. I don't know what you're talking abou- ….You thought I was a fucking girl?!" Kanda shouted.

"You had long hair back then too! Besides you were so pretty! And we were kids, you can't blame me!"

"The hell I fucking can't!"

"You were still a grump back then too. I don't know how I missed such an obvious connection."

"Because you're as fucking stupid as ever that's how."

"Aw, Yuu-chan, don't be so mean!"

"Don't call me that! You...you...you pinky promised!"

"But we're childhood friends! The rules say I get to call you whatever I want!"

"This isn't a fucking manga you stupid rabbit!"

"Wait wait wait so...You two...know each other? How?" Allen asked in confusion. How was this even possible?

"We went to the same orphanage. It was only for a short time but we became beeest frie-"

Before Lavi could finish his sentence, Kanda hit him over the back of the head and scowled.

"Shut up! Che! You're just as annoying as you were back then. You followed me around like a damn dog!"

"I couldn't help it! I didn't get to know anyone else there!"

"More like you didn't bother, you dumb little-"

"Not that this isn't extremely entertaining, but...do you two realize that you're actually getting along rather well right now?" Allen interrupted.

Pausing to stare at Allen as if he had gone crazy, the two then looked at each other and realized that Allen was right. Sure they had been arguing but it didn't hold any of the venom they previously had. Upon realizing this, Lavi grinned widely and Kanda tried to pretend it wasn't true as he scoffed and folded his arms to his chest. Lavi and Allen just looked at each other and began to laugh.

"Che, the hell is so funny?" kanda asked, glaring daggers at the two.

"Nothing nothing!" Allen chuckled as he reigned in his laughter. "I'm just...glad that's all," he concluded with a wide smile for both of them.

Kanda, not really knowing how to react, just sighed and walked away to prepare his breakfast. Lavi wiggled his eyebrows at Allen as if to say "watch this" and walked up right next to Kanda and leaned over him to reach his cereal, earning a hilarious reaction between a hiss and a che, which caused allen's laughter to start up again. Just as this was happening, Lenalee walked in but paused at the doorway to give a huge sigh of relief.

"Thank God! I don't know what's been up with you three the last few days, but I was scared a fire would start with all the sparks flying around. I'm glad everything's settled down," she smiled.

"Yeah, everything's good. Yuu-chan and I are best buddies now, sa!" Lavi said.

"The hell we are!" Kanda grumbled as he poured out the last bit of cereal into his bowl, though it wasn't nearly enough to fill it.

"Oi, Allen, you ate the last of the cereal again!"

"Ah, my bad!" Allen apologized as he rubbed the back of his head.

Meanwhile, Lenalee almost choked on her coffee. She hadn't ever heard Kanda call Allen by his actual name before. Plus Lavi didn't seem to mind at all, and he wasn't the type not to notice such things. What was going on? She'd definitely missed something, but for now...she assumed that Allen and Lavi weren't a thing anymore. She would have felt sad, but everyone seemed to be better because of it...whatever "it" really was. She smiled fondly at her boys as they bickered and bantered and even laughed. It was like music to her ears, better than any song.

'I knew they had it in them all along,' she thought fondly.

Then Kanda began pulling at Allen's cheeks and demanding that he give him back his cereal and Allen kept calling him Bakanda and Lavi kept switching between trying to split them up and trying to join in.

She sighed. 'Well, maybe not just yet!'

[ Scene end. ]

T.B.C.

J: Voila!
K: Wow, feels nice to finally have a new one out. :D
J: Yeah, like a weight's been lifted.
K: The "weight" being writer's block
J: *coughcough*Lazy ho*cough*
K: Watchu say about me
J: U wanna fucking go
K: I'll bash yer fookin' 'ead in i swear on me mum
J: ...*raises hand*
K: *flinches*