~Playlist up! I've had several dreams about this stupid story…I think it's infected my brain…HELP!!! IT'S THE FG-VIRUS!!!! I'M NOW A ZOMBIE!!!! ARRRrrrrrggghhh….!!! *ahem* er…don't own D. Gray-Man.~
Chapter 6: Welcome Home
Tsume lunged for him, shoving him out of the way and across the car. There was a sickening crunch as the demon bullet crushed a hole in her skull and she dropped to the floor immediately.
Lavi, anti-akuma weapon at the ready and a little pissed at getting tossed, stood up. It was a level two with at least two level ones, maybe more. He spun his hammer over his head. "Shouldn't have done that." He said, smirking. (Insert awesome Lavi move here.)
He cursed as he got shoved into the train wall again. At least the level ones were dead. He wiped the blood from his lip and glanced around for Tsume's body. She should be coming around about now…maybe…did she survive this…?
There! The flash of blinding light outside the train!
He ducked as the metal above his head crunched in with a squeal and something hissing. So she had the level two akuma? Fine. He ran towards the giant hole and glanced out, then he held onto the frayed edges as he leaned out, craning his neck up to see what was going on.
Tsume looked…different. Different was a nice word. Different was an understatement. Her fingers were elongated into claws and something signed through her clothing down her chest…The sign of the Jonah? Yes that had to be it. At least her face hadn't contorted like Kanda said it would. That meant she still had some sense left.
She stood over her prey and brought a claw up to her lips. "Who sent you?" She licked a stream of blood off her appendage.
Lavi tensed, waiting for the telltale sign of pentacles to show on her skin.
Nothing. Not a single mark on her white alabaster exterior.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" The akuma screeched. "No one se-!"
It cried out in pain as Tsume struck it. "Tell me now!" Her voice was thunderous; like a thunder storm that you knew would kill you.
"Road!!" It shrieked. "Road sent me!!"
Tsume paused to consider this before striking again.
Lavi threw himself into the interior of the train, barely dodging its head and body separately falling into the snow. He started to approach again, going to look for the body when Tsume's head, upside down, popped out of no where and threw him back on his behind. He swore explosively.
Tsume, eyes bright, laughed at him and swung into the interior of the train as it started to slow to a halt. "Sorry…I didn't mean to scare you."
He rolled his eyes with a smile as she helped him up. "Sure…you say that now…" He kept her hand on hers. "You…worried me." He admitted. "When you were up there…"
Tsume flushed a little and looked down. But she didn't take her hand away from his. "I'm sorry…"
He shook his head, smiling. "No it's fine." He dropped his hand. "I just didn't know you were resistant to akuma blood…or bullets, for that matter."
Tsume blinked. "Are they poisonous?"
"Highly. You die within minutes." He grabbed their suitcases and glanced to his side, handing Tsume her things. "I guess we're stopping."
"Yeah they must've figured out what was wrong." Tsume turned her head slightly to the side. She never realized how nice he looked at that angle…
He caught her eye and grinned. "Like what you see?"
Tsume turned away, wishing she could've died. That was the LAST thing she wanted him to see her doing! Checking him out was not on her priority list. Suddenly the world started to dim around the edges and tilt in a strange way. She felt her knees start to buckle and she dropped her bag, pitching forward. Was that someone yelling her name? Why was the world covered in black pentacles? What was going-?
-
Kanda was just dozing off when it happened. Thanks to his incredible ability to heal, he only had a pink scar left on his abdomen from his encounter with the monster Tsume could become. He was finally free of those stupid crutches!
Despite his 'good mood' at being liberated from such bonds, Bean Sprout and him got into a long and heated argument that Lenalee and the Bookman finally had to break up. Now, Lenalee was distracting Allen somewhere so they wouldn't kill each other and he could care less where the Bookman was. Just as long as he could catch some sleep…
"An exorcist, huh?'
Kanda opened his eyes with a snap.
The car was dark and small, rocking slightly as the train moved. He glanced around and put his hand on Mugen. "Who's there?"
A woman materialized next to him, seemingly out of no where. The wind from the incredible speed of her appearance whipped his around briefly. His lips thinned into a straight line as he narrowed his eyes.
She seemed harmless enough, a woman small in stature with almost childish hands. Her eyes glowed gold and she smiled absently. "My name is Lindy. What's yours?"
"What are you?" He moved away, watching her cautiously. She wasn't human, that he knew for sure. There seemed to be an ominous glow coming from her that he couldn't describe.
She leaned close to him and closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. "Intriguing…" She studied him. "I've never met a human that's been attacked by a First Generation Jonah and lived."
"What. Are. You." He snarled. He didn't have enough room to wield Mugen. He was trapped. His eyes flitted to either side of the car for possible exits, if anything to get more room then he had now.
"I'm a Jonah, dear exorcist." She smiled and placed a hand to her chest. "Second Generation. I've come to ask if the deal you have supposedly offered my cousin still applies to others like me."
"You mean us no harm?"
"None whatsoever." Lindy fiddled with an orb like ornament around her neck, looking a little impatient.
"How do I know you're a Jonah?" Kanda scowled.
Lindy flashed him another smile that seemed sinister.
Suddenly he was face to claw with the proof he had asked for. Her fingers had extended just like Tsume's had that day.
His breathing caught in his throat and he drew back quickly, almost bashing his head on the train window.
"Does this seem familiar?" She asked sweetly. "Or do you need the full version to trigger your memory?"
"You're in." He hissed, seething on the inside. If only he could free up his sword, he'd show this slut who was boss.
The claw retracted and she laughed, the sound soft. "Great! What're we doing?"
"You're getting away from me." He snapped.
She scooted away, but didn't seem intimidated by his anger. Instead, she smirked. "Ooo…feisty…"
-
When Tsume felt the beginnings of consciousness, her first thought was of the train. 'I guess we'll have to walk now…' She thought, her brain stumbling to rewire itself.
Her eyes blinked open to see the bottom of a book. "La-Lavi…?"
The book moved and Lavi's face appeared. He smiled. "Morning sleeping beauty. Thought you'd never come around." His tone was teasing but the tightness in his smile gave Tsume her first clue that he'd been worried again.
She blinked slowly and looked up at him through half lidded eyes. "What…?" She smiled a little as she realized her head was in his lap. "What happened?"
"You passed out, Ro." He rubbed the bridge of his nose absently, setting his book down. "The train stopped and they got everyone off it, promising a new train in a few days. I figured we might as well hitch a ride so…" He gestured to their surroundings; a wagon with hay in the corners, like someone had just unloaded it, driven by a man with a wide brimmed hat and a gray moustache. "He took pity on us. He'll be dropping us off into the next small town so we can find a place to sleep for the night."
Throughout his explanation, his hand was trailing through her hair as if he was rearranging it; like he didn't care what this would mean.
She closed her eyes halfway, deciding not to care anymore either. She felt exhausted and weak. "Okay…"
"You alright?" He stopped, peering at her.
"Yeah…yeah I'm fine…" She exhaled softly. She sat up next to him, glancing around. "A farmer?"
"Yup." Lavi leaned back, his back against the side of the cart. "Name's Mr. Koristov. He speaks English, but it's a little hard to understand. I got him talking to me for a while since you were out and I was bored but…" He shrugged. "He stopped talking."
Tsume chuckled. That was just like Lavi.
"What?" He smiled back.
"Nothing, I just think you're-"
"Cute?"
She blushed. "Umm…"
"Dashing?" He struck a pose and she laughed again. "I'm guessing not." He teased, bumping shoulders with her. "And I thought I had something going for me with that word…"
"I'm sorry. Would it make you feel better if I agreed?"
"Maybe."
"Well then fine." She tried hard not to turn pinker. "You're 'dashing'."
He gave her a sideways look with a sly grin. "Liar. You're just saying that to inflate my ego."
"One must always try." She teased.
They fell silent, staring out into the trees as they ambled along.
Tsume felt a chill race up her spine as a breeze floated past and she shivered.
Lavi glanced at her. "Cold?"
Tsume shook her head. "No I'm fine."
Regardless, Lavi stretched his arms out and wrapped one around her, bringing her close. He rested the other one on the cart. "Better?" He asked.
Tsume looked up at him. "A lot." She replied softly.
Suddenly, Mr. Koristov started to whistle a tune as snow started to fall all around them.
Tsume smiled as she put her head on his shoulder, watching the woods become white with winter's embrace. "That's a familiar tune…"
Lavi looked down at her, eyebrow raised. "Did they sing it down in South America?"
She shook her head, her eyes closed. "No…" Her voice was soft, strange. "No they didn't."
Lavi looked up at Mr. Koristov. "He's been whistling it for most of the trip."
Tsume's lips puckered slightly as she strove to remember. "It…it has words…"
"Do you know them?" He said.
Tsume nodded, then paused before starting to sing softly with the man's whistling. Her voice was soft and a little breathy. It wasn't the best voice in the world, but it was hers and he'd be willing to listen to it any time of the day. "Blue, blue caravan winding down to the valley of lights. My true love is a man who would hold me for ten thousand nights."
Mr. Koristov glanced back at them and switched from whistling the melody to the harmony, twining with Tsume's voice as if to cut through the falling snow and enfold the deadened trees.
"In the wild, wild wail of the wind he's a house 'neath the soft yellow moon. So blue, blue caravan won't you carry me down to him soon." She opened her eyes half way and sighed.
"Go on." He urged. "Do you not know the rest?"
"No…" Tsume turned her face towards his shoulder. "I do. It's just a very sad song."
The farmer called from the front. "Are you from dis country miss?" His baritone voice was rich and heavily accented.
"N…no…" Tsume answered hesitantly, lifting her head up a little.
"Oh, you no know story behind song?"
"No I don't."
"Ach! Dis is very sad song, yes?" The farmer continued on. "There be a young woman who say…very rich, yes? She love man who live in village. He tell her all about places all over world he see with his papa when he was young. Young woman decides to travel and see places. But her lover, he say he must stay and work. So they make promise, yes? She say she return and he say he wait for her."
"That's different." Lavi interjected, looking intrigued. He put a hand on his chin. "Usually the guy runs off-"
"Shush! No interrupting, yes?" The farmer hushed him.
Tsume giggled as Lavi looked stricken at the possibility of being quiet.
He smiled and squeezed her closer. "I apologize. Continue, Mr. Koristov."
"Dank you." Mr. Koristov went on. "So young woman travels world, yes? Gets man offers to marriage by rich men. But she say no. She wants to go back to her lover. But when she come home years later, he gone."
"Did he run off?" Lavi cut in, in spite of himself.
Tsume put a hand on his chest.
He smiled lazily at her.
"No, he no run off." The farmer's tone was soft. "No he not there, yes?"
"What do you mean?" Lavi put a hand up and captured Tsume's hand absently, his attention on the farmer.
Tsume, afraid, took her hand away and slipped it to the side of her.
He didn't look away. In fact, he seemed to not have noticed.
She exhaled softly and closed her eyes, settling against him. How tired she had become…
"He no exist." Mr. Koristov struggled for the words. "He was demon, yes? What is word…akuma?"
-
They arrived in town well after the sky had turned from a light gray to a dark starless night. Lavi hopped off the cart first and grabbed their bags. He set them down and gestured for Tsume to come closer to the edge of the cart. "Come here, Ro."
She swung her legs off the end and blushed as he placed his hands on her hips. She put her hands on his shoulders and he helped her off. She backed away a bit and focused her attention on straightening her clothes out. "Thanks Lavi."
He smiled. "Sure thing, Ro." He waved at Mr. Koristov. "Thank you sir!"
The man smiled. "No problem!" He leaned towards them conspiratorially. "You two lovers? Run away from home?"
"No." Tsume stiffened.
"Yes." Lavi said at the exact same time.
She gave him a look as he went and put an arm around her waist.
Mr. Koristov laughed. "Good luck to you, yes?" He turned back and clicked at the horse, the reins flashing through the air.
They watched him go off into the night, standing side by side until he was swallowed up in the darkness.
"Lovers?" Tsume said dryly.
Lavi brought her closer. "You don't like it?" He murmured, his tone teasing.
"Um…" Tsume started to chew on her lip, her nose brushing against his. Lord, he had the greenest eye she had ever seen. She placed her hands on his shoulders. "I…"
He pulled away, smiling. "Come on. Let's find us a place to stay." He offered his hand to her, picking up his bag.
She picked hers up as well, slightly dazed at this sudden show of affection. What had gotten into him? It wasn't as if she didn't like it. It was just…abrupt. She smiled a little, but it was quick. What was the consequence of all this? There was this Road person to think about who had sent the akuma after her. They'd almost killed Lavi. She didn't want to think about what would happen if they finally decided to come together. She took his hand anyway, deciding she had the whole trip to worry about this. In the meantime, he was here and he was warm.
They trekked off into the snow, hand in hand, approaching the lights of a small town.
"Lavi?"
"Hmm?"
She stopped, keeping her hold on his hand.
He paused and turned to her, curious. "What is it?"
She hesitated, her voice soft. "Why is it that every time I look at you…I'm home…?"
He blinked once and smiled warmly. He walked up and kissed her on the forehead. "Because I'll always be there when you do come home." He smoothed out her hair and smiled against her forehead, his eyes closed. This was nice. The acceptance. The warm feeling inside that trickled down to the tips of his toes. It was all real and it was here and he loved it. "Come on." He pulled away. "I bet you're freezing."
She smiled and let him lead her on. "Not anymore."
-
The sign said inn, but they were both certain it was just the local bar with rooms above. Everyone laughed, talked, and even argued loudly. Everything was at the top of everyone's lungs.
Speaking in halting Romanian, Lavi bargained out a room with a robust woman serving drinks.
She smiled kindly at Tsume as she showed them their rooms, asking something along the lines of 'are you cold'.
Tsume nodded, suddenly shy in the presence of this woman.
She said something else and walked out.
"She said she's gonna see if she has a dress somewhere that's your size." Lavi told her.
"People need to stop giving me clothes." She sighed in exasperation.
"You need to stop looking so cute." Lavi teased. He squeezed her hand. "Want me to sleep on the floor?" He gestured with their locked hands to the one bed.
Tsume looked at him worriedly. "You'll be cold."
"I'll be fine." He shrugged. "I always have to sleep on the floor when I go on trips with The Bookman."
"Well that's not any excuse to put you on the floor." Tsume grumbled.
He rolled his eyes and put a hand on his shoulder, rotating it. "You need to stop tossing me everywhere, woman."
Her eyes widened. "Did I hurt you?"
He stared at her for a second. How could this impossibly innocent girl be capable of killing things? "Uh…no. No I'm fine." He put his arm down. "How do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Come off as completely innocent when you're one of the most lethal things I have ever encountered."
She went over to the bed and sat on it, examining the room. Four red walls with a standardized bed, a rug on the floor next to the fireplace…nothing really out of the ordinary. "I don't know." She confessed. "I just…well…" She chewed on her lip. "It was going to hurt you, so I kinda…hurt it back…" She stared at her hands.
Lavi opened his mouth to say something else when the woman came in again with a plain red dress and a belt. She set them on the bed and smiled again at Tsume.
Tsume nodded back, a pleasant expression on her face.
The woman left, chatting with Lavi briefly before shutting the door.
Lavi came over to Tsume. "I'm going downstairs to get something to eat. Come down when you're finished." He hesitated then kissed her forehead again. "Thank you." He left, shutting the door behind him.
Tsume ran a finger over the fabric, sighing. She touched her forehead and smiled.
-
Lavi was idly drinking water in a corner; the only non alcoholic beverage in the place. He watched the talk start to dwindle down as the night grew late. He stifled a yawn and glanced around for some sort of clock. Surely a bar/inn would have one…?
It was almost midnight. He stifled another yawn and put his head on his arm. Tsume had better come down soon or he'd fall asleep right on the table.
Conversation stopped around where the stairs were.
He looked up, smiling as she came up to greet him at a table.
"It's pretty late." She said off handedly.
"We won't stay long." He shoved a plate with some bread and cheese on it. "You should eat something. You had a rough day."
She rubbed her arm awkwardly and picked at the food. She looked up at him briefly and opened her mouth to say something, but shut it immediately. She ate in silence after that.
It was only after Lavi had fallen asleep at the table that they both decided to go to bed. She woke him up and stood. "Come on, let's get you to bed."
He rubbed his eye. "You didn't eat anything." He pointed out, standing and stretching.
"Not hungry." She slipped her arm around his and they walked up the stairs together.
He gave her a scrutinizing look. She seemed off; like someone had erased a lot of the happiness she had ever had at one time. He leaned closer as he opened the door for her. "You feeling alright?"
"I feel fine." She sighed. "Just tired."
He decided not to press it and she slipped away from him to get ready for bed. He yawned again, grabbed a blanket, and lit the fireplace. He lay on the floor, facing the fire that had started. Hey, if it got out of control while they slept, at least he'd be the first to know. His eye closed as he listened to Tsume move around the room, her footsteps soft and slow.
-
Chapter seven coming soon. YAY FLUFF!!!