Monday always came too quickly for Tyki. And this week in particular wasn't about to be an easy one. The investors would be meeting on Wednesday evening; a decision would have to be made about the new store opening by Friday; and yet another annoying family meal to appease the tender hearted patriarch was scheduled at the end of the week. Not to mention he would have to find a way to look Lavi in the eye again after Saturday night.
A hundred different awkward scenarios that could happen before lunchtime played out in Tyki's mind as he dragged himself around the house reluctantly getting ready for the day ahead. Avoiding Lavi was not going to be an option; he still needed to catch up with the designer to prepare him for the proposal presentation.
"You really are an idiot," Tyki scolded himself as he shook the memory of Saturday night from his head and abandoned his coffee to put in his lenses. Teasing the designer like that can't have been a very good idea this close to the deadline.. "Shit, Kanda's going to kill me," a second realization that nearly cost him a contact lens down the sink.
The buzzing of the security door bought Tyki out of his contemplations, the insistent droning breaking through his self-pity. He left his untouched coffee cup on the kitchen table and wondered who would be calling this early on a Monday.
"Hi~!" Road's high-pitched voice came shrilly through the intercom.
"Road left her phone here last night. Can we come up?" by his tone it didn't sound as if Wesley was enjoying playing chaperone this morning.
"Make it quick. I need to leave soon," said Tyki as he pressed the release that unlocked the front door. Abandoning his coffee yet again, Tyki went back into his bedroom to grab a jacket. Before selecting a jacket he stopped to take a look at himself in the mirror. Not vain but not entirely unappreciative of his own looks.
In the mirror, his reflection stared back at himself. Dark waves bordered his face messily; Tyki pulled at a lock and watched it bounce back and then pulled it all back into his trademark ponytail. He wore an open collared shirt, the silken material stretching nicely over his chest and shoulders. The shirt tucked into dark navy trousers held up by a brown leather belt that matched his shoes. Tyki buttoned the cuffs and reached inside the wardrobe. His hand found an empty hanger and he wondered briefly what was missing.
Then it hit him.
Another awkward conversation point, Sorry but I seem to have left my clothes in your house… He groaned at his own stupidity. He had been in such a rush to leave he'd left his jacket in Lavi's front room.
"When you're done looking at yourself I need a favor," Wesley sidestepped into the room looking sheepish. The hair on the back of Tyki's stood up in anticipation of whatever disaster his nephew had caused this time. He set aside a different jacket for the day
Tyki sighed and returned to the wardrobe. "You haven't paid me back for the last favor and you're already asking for another?"
"It's nothing big or even out of your way you know," implored Wesley. He crept further into the room and sat on the edge of Tyki's bed and continued when Tyki offered no opposition, "It's just that because Road forgot her phone and I had to drive her by here –"
"Whose car?" Tyki cut in, he furrowed his eyebrows at Wesley.
"Devi's. He gave me his car for the week because of their major fuck-up on Saturday. Anyway, Road is going to be late if I don't drop her off –"
"And you want me to drop her instead?"
"Can you stop interrupting me?" Wesley snapped. Tyki rolled his eyes and selected a navy tie. "No, I want you to go pick up Lavi instead. He says he has a lot of bulky stuff to take in to work today and asked me to drop him and seeing how you're going to the same place anyway…"
"No," Tyki said flatly and in no way representing the high jumps and backflips currently taking place inside his chest. It was far too early to deal with this. "I'll take Road."
He stalked from the room and called to Road to get her things together and just as abruptly turned back to grab the forgotten jacket. "It's not summer yet," he snapped at Wesley's inquiring eyes.
"You should wear a different tie," Wesley pulled out a broad burgundy tie and a waistcoat, "And this, Lavi likes the three piece look."
"He does?" Tyki accidently got caught in up in Wesley's nonsense, he had never wanted to kick his nephew out of his apartment so much before. "I mean – get out, I'm late."
"And yet there you are changing ties," A huge grin broke out across Wesley's face, "My uncle and my best friend; I feel like I should be more against this."
"We are colleagues, nothing more." Tyki said stiffly, as he deftly redid his half-Windsor knot.
"Right, colleagues, so you won't have a problem with going to work together with your colleague?" Tyki opened his mouth to protest further but the knowing gleam in Wesley's eyes caught him like a punch to the gut. Damn that kid and his damn intuition. "So you'll do it?"
"I'm ready!" Road appeared at the door looking bored. "Have you decided who's going to take me to school yet?"
Wesley looked hopefully at Tyki whose shoulders visibly slumped doing their best to contain the acrobatic content of his stomach. "Awesome! Let's go Road," Wesley said, jumping to his feet.
"Aren't you bored of that hair?" Road peered up at Tyki, looking him over with an appraising gaze. "That pony tail is so meh, you should grow it longer."
"I don't know? What would Lavi prefer?" he growled at Wesley who was still wearing that disgustingly happy smirk.
"You can ask him when you see him," Wesley winked and gave his uncle the thumbs up.
Tyki grabbed the discarded trench coat and swept out of the room, mostly to hide the rising heat in his face. Annoying brats.
If he had turned back he would have seen said brats exchange identical mischievous grins and slap palms in triumph.
One hand poised to knock, and the other staring anxiously at his phone. It wasn't too late to back out now was it? Tyki had already been standing here for fifteen minutes fighting with himself about what his next course of action should be.
All it would take was an apologetic text message and an expensed taxi for Lavi… Several agonizing minutes later, Tyki took a deep breath and knocked.
"Doors open Wes, come in and grab some bags!" Lavi called from inside. Slightly dubious, Tyki tried the handle and found the door was indeed open. Even with the invitation to come in, Tyki rapped lightly on the doorframe as he entered. That somehow felt less intrusive.
"Took your sweet time didn't you? Was starting to think you'd abandoned me…" Lavi prattled on from somewhere deeper in the house, leaving who he thought was Wesley to stand awkwardly in his front room. He looked around for the 'stuff' that Lavi needed to transport and found four canvas bags of different material rolls on the floor, a couple of cardboard moving boxes and three hanger bags thrown over the sofa.
Footsteps sounded in the hallway and Lavi's slightly muffled voice called out, "If you grab a couple bags, I'll bring up the hangers – oh!" A ruffled and confused Lavi emerged from the head hole of chunky green knitwear. "You're not Wes."
"There's that incredible attention to detail you were hired for."
"Where is Wes?" Lavi watched the space behind Tyki as if Wes would suddenly jumped out and surprise him. Almost as if he was scared of being left alone with Tyki.
"Wes is driving Road to school so I'll be your driver today," Tyki said calmly, doing his best to squash the annoying twinge of knowing that Lavi felt uneasy to be around him now.
Surprisingly Lavi let out a relieved laugh, "Don't tell him but I'm glad."
"You are?" Tyki asked in what he hoped was an even tone.
"Have you ever driven with him before?" Lavi turned a pale shade of green at the memory. "It's not nearly as much fun being a passenger as it is for Wes to be driver."
"I don't know if I should be worried about those two now," Tyki wondered out loud as he shouldered two of the canvas bags and carried a third in his arms. "I should probably call…"
"I wouldn't," Lavi warned, "Wes' my friend but he's also dumb enough to pick up while driving."
The red head grabbed the last bag and threw the hanger bags over a box in his arms and Tyki followed him out. The weather was mild, a touch of dampness and the smell of rain clung to the air. Two beeps and a set of flashing tail lights called out to Lavi who without hesitation threw open the boot and after depositing his hanger bags, ran back to bring up the final box from the house.
While Tyki filled the boot he felt that odd tingling sensation of being watched. He scanned the quiet row of houses, a twitch of a curtain across the road caught Tyki's attention, the movement too quick for him to catch anything more than a flutter of material in the window.
"Ignore the Panda," Lavi said in a long-suffering voice.
"Panda?" Tyki would have turned back to get a better look if Lavi hadn't grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the car. "Your landlord? What's he doing spying on you?"
"Don't be so obvious," he hissed and without a backwards glance swung himself into the passenger seat.
The situation was absurd. Tyki failed to see how he was being the obvious one when the old curtain twitcher across the road was still watching them. He lifted his palms in submission and followed Lavi into the car. He sneaked a glance through the mirror at the now suspiciously still curtain as he pulled out and joined the Monday morning traffic. "Don't know what he was expecting to see anyway…"
"Well seeing you leave at 5am in a taxi on Sunday morning has given him a few bad ideas…" Lavi said slightly apologetically, staring fixedly out of his window, a red tinge colouring his complexion. Tyki swallowed hard; they were right on course for awkward waters. "Don't mind him, he's just… you know, a bit old-fashioned. And I –"
"What are you doing for lunch today?" Tyki cut in abruptly as the car came to a harsh stop at the lights. He quickly changed the gears and continued in a more measured tone, "Let me shout you today. An apology for my niece and nephew trashing your front room."
"Nah its okay Tyki, ferrying me to work was supposed to be the apology," Lavi had no idea how much of a sincere apology Wesley had arranged for him. Tyki had to bite the inside of his cheek to hold back a laugh.
"Just let me take you out," he insisted.
"Take me out? Like just you and me? Together?" Lavi's eyes were wide. Tyki could almost see the conflicting thoughts swimming behind them and the laughter died in his throat. For the first time he began to consider how selfish he had been. Teasing Lavi had been a measure of controlling his own lust; Lavi himself hadn't even been an afterthought, Tyki shifted guiltily.
But it wasn't as if Lavi had been unwilling. Did that mean the red head been left disappointed?
"Not if it makes you uncomfortable," Tyki forced his eyes back to the road and waited for the lights to change. "It was just a thought… to know each other a bit better. If you don't want to, that's okay too."
"No – I mean, I do want to," Lavi said firmly. "I'd like to get to know you better too Tyki."
The lights flashed amber and Tyki pulled the car out of neutral, a surreptitious curve playing around his mouth.
"This again?" Lenalee picked up the single sheet of paper Kanda dropped onto her desk and immediately scrunched it up. For the past month the model had been haranguing her over nonsensical drama between him and Tyki. "How many times have I told you? I am not getting involved."
Kanda harrumphed and sat down heavily in the chair opposite her. Lenalee shrugged and returned to her computer screen. When was he going to he learn that pouting and sulking never worked on her anyway?
After ten minutes, Kanda maintained his pose, as still as statue and solid in his resolve to make Lenalee sign and recognize the agreement. Tyki wasn't in his office, otherwise Lenalee would have dragged Kanda in there and knocked their heads together. She didn't even know how this started or even why Kanda was so worked up over it. If Tyki wanted to have a fling with the new designer that was between them.
But the floor manager's desk in the other side of the room was empty too so Lenalee hazarded finding out a little bit more.
"Why does it bother you so much Kanda?" she asked without looking away from her screen.
"Because," Kanda snapped making Lenalee sigh when he didn't offer any more than that.
"Because…?"
"He's such a slut!"
"Lavi?" Lenalee turned the thought over disbelievingly. She'd met the designer on the morning of the interview and seen him a handful of times since. He seemed decent enough. "Really? I haven't heard anything… Everyone says he's friendly. Has he done something to you or Allen?"
"Not him, Mikk!" barked Kanda, "Aren't you listening?"
"I am listening. It's you who's not talking straight," Lenalee snapped back at the angry model. Angry seemed to be his default lately and it was beginning to wear on her, especially with this ridiculous bet he kept asking her to oversee. She resolved to confront Tyki over it after she shook off Kanda. She folded her arms on the desk and met Kanda's steely gaze. "Kanda, I know it's frustrating that we haven't really hit the ground running with this new line but the board are meeting this week and then it will be full steam ahead from now to September. Why don't you concentrate on something else for now?"
"Lena, he was only hired because Mikk wants to get in his pants. What will happen when he does it and then leaves the stupid red head in a mess?" Lenalee watched him tap the table impatiently.
"It's nice that you're concerned about Lavi –"
"I am not concerned about him!"
" – But he is a grown man. He can look after himself." Lenalee continued firmly. "This bet thing is cruel and will do more damage in the long run. I doubt Allen would approve."
The words hung heavily in the air between them.
They locked eyes over the desk, a battle of wills. The door into the small room swung open and in came Tyki, shrugging off his jacket. He stopped short, sensing the tension in the room. Kanda folded his arm over his chest defensively. Lenalee returned to her typing, each hit of the keyboard a click of triumph.
"Bit cold in here," Tyki commented on the frosty atmosphere and looking between the two suspiciously.
"We were just discussing Kanda's birthday," Lenalee said smoothly. "Of course he doesn't want a party, but Allen insists."
Kanda stared her with open awe at her ability to lie so quickly and easily. She urged him to shut up with her eyes, all the while still smiling up at the finance director. Not noticing the exchange between them, Tyki came further in cautiously, if there was a fight about to break out, he would rather not be present.
"When is it?" he asked over his shoulder.
"Next Saturday, the sixth," Lenalee said brightly. "25 it's a big one!"
"Oh wow 25. Our little Kandakins is going to be all grown up," Tyki chuckled at Kanda's 'screw you' glare.
"Did you pick up the coffee?" Lenalee frowned up at Tyki's empty hands. Monday mornings he was supposed to buy the coffee for them. "Never mind, I'll go to the machine."
As Lenalee rose from her chair, Kanda did the same and for a horrible second she thought that he was going to follow her to try and convince her further. Her worries were to rest immediately when Kanda instead followed Tyki into his office. She almost felt sorry for Tyki, but if the bet was for real then he could suffer a little longer until she put him straight.
Lenalee wondered whether Allen knew about the bet Tyki and Kanda were running, she supposed not as she couldn't imagine the kind hearted boy being too keen on it. Maybe she should go have a word with him about it? It wasn't fair on Lavi to be caught between those two. He didn't stand a chance.
"Excuse me, Miss Lee?"
"Oh – hello," looking up, Lenalee faced a wall of knitted green. Looking higher up, her eyes met a friendly green-eyed face. "Gosh, you're tall."
"Sorry, can't help that," Lavi smiled apologetically and held out for Lenalee, "I'm Lavi Bookman, the new designer. I remember you from the interview."
"You can just call me Lenalee, we're not formal around here," she shook the proffered hand, "Nice to meet you properly at last. Have you settled in well?" Lenalee looked at him closely, there were dark lines under his eyes, but his smile looked genuine. She couldn't help but return the expression.
"Really well thank you, everyone is so friendly," he replied.
"That's really good, I'm glad," Lenalee said warmly. "I'm just going to get some coffee, do you want to join me?"
"No that's alright thanks, another time definitely. But I was hoping you could give me directions," Lavi shook his head and scratched the back of his neck, "I'm looking for Tyki's office. He left his jacket at mine this weekend and I forgot to give it back to him when he dropped me off this morning."
"His office is just past the manager's desk, which …" is where Kanda and Tyki are probably both talking about you, Lenalee finished the thought in her head. …dropped me off…this weekend…? Tyki moved really fast… Lavi looked at her expectantly. "Actually, you know, he's in a meeting right now, so probably best not to disturb him. I can take that for you if you like?"
"Ah that would be a great help, I have to get back, told the team I would only be gone five minutes."
"I'll make sure he gets it Lavi. I didn't realize you two were close," Lenalee said offhandedly as she took the hanger bag out of his hands and quickly stopped herself when she noticed the slight tremble in Lavi's hands. "Sorry, I don't mean to pry."
"It's okay. We're not that close, Tyki's just…" Lavi laughed nervously, struggling to say what Tyki was. "He's helped me out quite a bit with work and just everything. I kind of owe for giving me a chance when I really needed it."
The warmth and sincerity struck a cord with Lenalee, leaving her feeling unsure whether she should hug or punch Tyki for he was doing to this person. Nonetheless It was plain that Lavi thought highly of Tyki.
"Anyway, I should probably get going now. Thanks again," Lavi smiled and turned quickly back up the way he had come.
"Lavi!" Lenalee called out. "A few of us get together for lunch on Fridays, join us?"
"Sounds great, look forward to it Lenalee," he said, gave her wave and disappeared around the corner.
Since Kanda left, the office complaining about having to waste his morning with the useless new design team it had been really quiet. The managers must have been busy on the floor as not one of them had been up, the phone had even rung and Lenalee had put up a stony wall of silence when she had returned with the coffee. She can't still be mad about him forgetting to bring it, Tyki thought exasperatedly to himself.
At least he was able to use the peace to get through the boring paper work side of the business that always came around at this time of the month. But as the hours rolled by Tyki almost even wished Kanda was still around, he always made for such amusing entertainment.
Tyki began counting the minutes until lunchtime, when he could escape for a blissful hour with Lavi and get to know him better. Only half an hour left…
"What are you so happy about?" Lenalee stood at the doorway, looking puzzled.
"Is it a crime to smile now," Tyki leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms and relishing the strain after being in one position for too long.
Lenalee came into the office and sat down on the sofa, and the soft rustling alerted Tyki to the dark brown hanger bag in her hands. Her face was drawn as if contemplating something unpleasant.
"What have you got there?" he said starting to become a little concerned about his assistant.
"Are you sleeping with Lavi?" Lenalee fired without warning.
"What?" Tyki nearly choked on his tongue over the unexpected question. "I mean… What? Why would you even ask me that? You said we're not allowed to talk personally anymore!" Incredibly uncomfortable Tyki tried to refocus on the papers he had been reading before Lenalee had entered. Shuffling the papers loudly he was still unable to drown out the sound of Lenalee's glare. The plastic rustled in her hands as she came around the desk and perched on the end of it, forcing Tyki to look up at her.
"Christmas was ages ago move on! And what did you expect when you told Kanda it was okay to get me involved? Someone has to put you two idiots in place," Lenalee said crossly. She flicked his ear painfully and spoke over his pained groans, "You might have promised your car away to Allen, but he won't want it when I tell him why you're suddenly casting off your brand new car. And Lavi, what about when he finds out you bet your car against his virtue!"
Rubbing his ear, Tyki leaned back in his chair as far away from the mad woman as he could get and folded his arms across his chest but that felt too guarded so he stretched his arms out along the armrests. The wood was smooth and cool against his skin, a much needed shield against the fire of her wrath.
"His virtue? Lenalee, you're being hysterical now. I don't intend on losing the bet," he said slowly and calmly. "Come September I'll still have my car and as a company we will have a fantastic new line and store. I actually like the kid, call this a no strings attached getting to know each other period."
"Really? You are going to wait three months before jumping into bed with him? Are you even capable of that Tyki?" The insult stung a little at Tyki's pride. "Well hate to break it to you, but I already know you've lost. Who's going to tell Kanda?"
With a grim expression Lenalee dropped the hanger bag into Tyki's lap, which he caught just before it slipped entirely to the floor. He looked up at her questioningly and unzipped the bag to find his missing jacket.
"Ah, he returned it," he said brightly, still a little bemused by the hard line Lenalee was taking over a jacket.
"Lavi came by earlier," was all Lenalee said. She crossed her arms tightly as if physically holding herself back. Tyki waited for her to elaborate further. "He looked really tired and was spewing all this stuff about how great you are and how you've been helping him," she said sullenly like she couldn't that Tyki had ever been helpful to anyone in his life.
Tyki zipped up the bag and hung it up all the while trying to see how that had led Lenalee to conclude that he had been anything but proper with Lavi. "Let me get this straight, he returned my returned my jacket in a very not cloak and dagger way, and because he's looking worn out you think me and him are having sex? You need to stop listening to Kanda."
Lenalee flushed red, but maintained her steady gaze on Tyki as he moved around the room and finally stopped at the door.
"Lavi is worn out because of the board meeting this weekend, you of all people should know that," Tyki watched Lenalee as it dawned on her just how off her assumption had been and relished the satisfaction of being right. When arguing with Lenalee, it wasn't a high ground that he could maintain for long. "We did spend Saturday night together but it was purely business. We just hashed out a few ideas after Wes and Road ruined half his work."
"What do they have to do with Lavi?" Tyki waved his hand dismissively. He'd had enough of those two the last couple of days to last him a lifetime. "Okay, fine, but you still have to tell him or call off the bet."
"I'll deal with it," Tyki said in an assuring voice that all but reassured her. "Lavi is a consenting adult, I won't be doing anything he doesn't want."
"Where are you going now?"
"I'm going out for lunch with Lavi now, I promise not to have sex with him at any time during the next hour." He narrowly avoided being concussed by a paperweight as he ducked out of the office as fast as he could.
Unfortunately for Tyki, his lofty spirits were dashed to the ground when he turned the corner out of the alley to Lavi's warehouse to find that Allen Walker would be tagging along with them to lunch.
"Sorry," Lavi mouthed over the oblivious teen's head at Tyki, who could do nothing more than shake his head and shrug. The boy had arrived fifteen minutes earlier to join Kanda for his measuring session with Miranda and when Lavi's lunchtime came round he had simply got up and followed him out of the door, much to the chagrin of both Lavi and Kanda. It was testament to Allen's natural charm that neither had a choice in the matter.
"I know a great Mexican place.. What do you think?" Allen asked, unaware of the silent conversation going on above him and without waiting for a response he nodded to himself and led the way to a small establishment that was arranged like a cafeteria.
Once they were seated Lavi eyed Allen's two all-in burritos and extra large serving of nachos topped cheese, salsa, guacamole and salad. He down at his own meal and then at Tyki who was sat beside him like there was nothing wrong with the picture them. "Allen, your lunch ends in twenty minutes; are you going to be able to eat all that?" Lavi said at last, concerned when the waitress came by with an additional bowl of muddy chips.
At that, Tyki looked up and leaned over Lavi's shoulder, "That's nothing, you should have seen Allen at the last Christmas meal. Needed a whole table to him."
"Hey it was a buffet and a man's got to eat," Allen said proudly and somehow perfectly articulately around a mouthful of burrito. "Surprised you even noticed, weren't you a bit busy being backhanded by Lenalee?"
"You're assistant Lenalee? She's lovely, what did you do to her?" Lavi turned on Tyki accusingly.
"Why do you think I did anything?" The accusation rankled Tyki and he took a defensive bite of burrito and mentally willing Allen to choke on a nacho. "Not my fault she can't handle compliments."
Across the table, Allen did choke. "Compliments?" he spluttered.
"I don't think we need to relive this memory," Tyki tried to cut Allen off before he could get started. "How do you know Lenalee anyway?"
"Met her this morning, having lunch with her on Friday. Anyway," Tyki cursed under his breath at the weak line of diversion and propped his elbow up on the table with his forehead in his palm anticipating the story telling. The show of defeat only elicited further interest in Lavi, "This has to be good, Allen?"
Allen dramatically put down his second burrito, the first already long gone, and wiped his mouth on a napkin slowly. "It started when Lenalee walked in, everyone else was already seated and I was just getting started on this beautiful goats' cheese and tomato tart. The cheese was the right amount of tangy sweet melt-in-the-mouthness and the dressing was amazing. I think it was balsamic vinegar and wild spinach…"
"Allen!" Lavi had to click his fingers a few times in front of the day dreaming food junkie before he came back to the point. "Don't need the food details."
"Right yeah, so Lenalee walked and this gentleman here pulled out a chair for her."
"But?"
"But then he had to comment on her dress," Allen gave Tyki a stern glare over a salsa covered nacho and crunched judgmentally.
Tyki groaned, "All I said was that the dress really suited her figure."
"No you said and I quote, 'Wow, where have you been hiding those legs?' which would have been fine if you hadn't ended it with, 'I'd pay for that.' At which point Lenalee promptly slapped some sense into him," Allen finished with a shrug and returned to what was left of his meal, half a burrito and a few nachos. "Deserved it if you ask me."
Lavi burst into a fit of laughter, the sound sinking painfully into Tyki's skull. Customers at a nearby table had started to look over to see what the fuss was about. He berated himself for ever having brought up the Christmas meal. Shame warmed his cheeks as he cast about for a topic changer.
"Tyki you are classless!" Lavi said, patting him in commiseration on the back.
"It was a mistake," Tyki wished for a hole to crawl into and die. "It was Christmas and I'd already had a few to drink…"
"It gets worse," said Allen through another mouthful.
"Do you not shut up?" Tyki snapped but was ignored as Allen turned directly to Lavi.
"Consider this fair warning Lavi, never have an argument with Tyki and especially not a drunk Tyki," Allen wiped his fingers nonchalantly and again completely oblivious to the atmosphere around him. Tyki was done wishing for a hole to die in, better to have a hole to bury stupid Walker in; him and his big mouth.
"What happened next?" Lavi said interest definitely piqued.
"They both kept taking digs at each other all night so Tyki thought it would be a good idea to make out with the cocktail waiter Lenalee had been flirting with all night. But you two did get over that little spat quite quickly, poor Lenalee what she puts up with," Allen looked from Tyki's painful grimace to Lavi's sheer glee, shook his head and checked his watch. "Score! Barely twelve minutes and that's me done. Enjoy the rest of your lunch." So after dropping that shocker of story Allen calmly jumped down from the high stool and waved goodbye.
A flurry of movement to his side alerted Tyki and he looked up to see Lavi seat hopping so now he was directly opposite. Lavi shook his head and let out a low whistle, "Wow, that was one hell of a bitchy revenge tactic."
Tyki dropped his burrito, appetite gone since the beginning of Allen's story time session. Tyki focused really hard on crushing the ice in his drink with his straw. "Blame it on the alcohol."
"Oh come on we've all done thing's we're not proud off. At least now I know you're a mean drunk," Tyki was amazed that he could still hear amusement in Lavi's voice.
"And you're not put off?" He was really struggling to understand how Lavi was still finding this all so funny. "Seriously, that story makes me sound pretty bad…"
"Hey I said I wanted to know more about you, might as well have started with the worst. If it makes you feel better I'll tell you something too," Lavi whipped his head around and leaned in close. "Right I'm really not proud of this, but I'm a really light drinker."
"How is that anywhere near as bad?" Tyki started.
"Let me finish," Lavi shushed him and continued, "When I was in first year university I went to a load of those meeting mixers they hold all through September. It was fun at first, I'd nurse a drink maybe two, but that's my limit. Then one night, I met this guy, don't even remember his name, yes he was hot and best bit he seemed into it too." Lavi stopped to have a drink and Tyki could see the red flush creeping up his neck, he watched as Lavi scratched his neck, a nervous tick he had observed more than once.
"So then we go outside, by this time I'm only my third drink but it was already doing something to me, giggling, over heating probably sweating just trying to keep up with him. And then he brings out a joint, hands it me. Barely held it to my lips and … just threw up all over his shoes." Lavi swung his arms out wide, demonstrating the extent of the mess. "That's why I couldn't get mad at Road, been there. Funnily enough it was Wes back then as well who was on clean up duty."
Tyki considered the two situations as they both got up and headed back to Noah's Ark, "Yeah I'll give it to you, that's bad, but at least you don't have to see that guy again."
"Yeah I guess so," Lavi conceded, "But then again there was this one time I embarrassed myself before an interview by drinking my future boss' coffee."
"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me."
Without Allen in between now conversation came easily and they fell into a comfortable stride, their closeness unnoticed on the busy street. The closer they got to the Ark, Tyki began to feel the warmth of the knuckles on Lavi's right hand brush against his left hand. He sneaked a glance down at the red head, but Lavi was watching the ground with an implacable expression.
"Stop a minute please," Lavi said softly at the end of the alley that lead back to the warehouse. "About Saturday night…"
Tyki felt his insides clench all at once, but he stopped all the same and met Lavi's crystalline emerald gaze. The height difference was apparent at this close a range, and the slight upturned angle of Lavi's face brought his eyes and mouth into greater prominence.
"I just wanted to say thanks for everything, for sticking around afterwards," Lavi took a step closer and Tyki found himself rooted to the spot. "And I want you to know that I really, really appreciate it."
"Don't worry –" Tyki never finished his sentence because at that moment Lavi held onto Tyki's arms, using them to steady himself as he pushed forwards and pressed his lips to Tyki's. He held on for only an instant before pulling back but still holding on gently to Tyki.
"You ran away so quickly on Saturday, I didn't know if I had imagined the moment or not?" Lavi said when he broke away from Tyki's lips but never once from his eyes. "And judging by how fast you ran away, I think that if I don't make myself now, I'll lose this chance entirely."
Tyki swallowed hard, that innocent closed mouth kiss lingering on his mouth. Green eyes were still staring up at him for a response, but he had eyes only for the soft mouth that had the audacity, the boldness to surprise him like that. "Really?" was all he could manage.
A huge grin broke out across Lavi's face and pushed forward again, his grip on Tyki moving to his shoulders, one hand slid down Tyki's chest and became entwined in his tie and when he connected this time he invited Tyki to take part. Something Tyki was more than happy to do.
"Really," Lavi confirmed huskily. "Nice tie by the way," he said as he pulled away fully now, taking his time to trail his fingers along Tyki's arms from shoulders to fingertips and left the alley taking with him the last vestiges of Tyki's option to remain just friends.
Sorry about the huge delay, after the last update I got really really sick and then seriously bogged down with work and all sorts.
At least the new chapter and the anime have kept me going! (Latest episode had me near tears T.T)
Anyway hope you all enjoyed and thanks for reading!
Take care all! :)