So, I am back and out of school now, so I will be catching up as I am currently behind. Chapter 3 has already been started. I hope you all will realize that I have given chapter 1 a title as well as this chapter. At this time, I would like assure you that I did not make these words up and they are in fact defined in There's a word for it!: A Grandiloquent Guide to Life by Charles Harrington Elster. So, enjoy the vocab lesson as well. Also, I'm trying to keep up with the actual time period that I gave, but the real world doesn't always fit so any historical discrepancies should be ignored. The chapters will come up faster now that I don't have a research paper due everyday. Thank you for reading.

Disclaimer: I do not own D. Gray-man or any associated affiliates, they belong to Hoshino Katsura. I also did not originally write this chapter, nor the next few chapters; instead the original idea for this fanfic and some of the original text (which has been used in areas) are by Misster Cackles.

Thank You's: Once again I would like to that Misster Cackles for giving me this fic, don't worry the changes will come. Also my lovely beta, Koholint, who managed to review this chapter for me and return it in a few hours. Gotta love summer. Finally, to the wonderful reviews who like what I've done so far. It really does mean a lot to me that people do like it. And, I'll try to keep up with the awesome TheEvilMuffinToaster.

Please review.

Chapter 2: Haptepronia

Haptepronia - the inclination to respond favorably to amorous advances

Lavi felt the sudden urge to hit the absent crazed scientist; what had Komui been thinking when he assigned the Bookman heir to this mission! Since the redhead wasn't female, why had the Supervisor expected Tyki to give the information to them after not receiving his end of the bargain; and therefore being betrayed by the people who are supposed to become his ally?

The brunette's voice interrupted Lavi's thoughts about different forms of torture for is supervisor. "What are you going to do now, shonen?" The redhead's attention snapped back to his supposed enemy just in time to watch the taller male to finish fishing out a small white box. Recognition settled in as the younger saw the cigarette be drawn from between the card board sheets and a match was pulled from Tyki's right pocket.

The exorcist paused to think some more, but decided to think loud instead when he noticed the impatient glint in the elder's eyes. "Switching Exorcists would take a few days because of the trains. Even if I called them to send another one within the hour, it would take about four days tops; three if there are no stops between stations. I am more than willing to bet on the former wait time because of short notice to the train administrators." He glanced at the Noah who nodded in agreement while waving out the lit match. Biting his lip, Lavi decided to ask the one question he was fairly certain he already knew the answer to, "When did you need the female Exorcist?"

Tyki took a long drag from the cancer stick before politely exhaling the smoke to the side. "Today at this time would've been the latest."

Lavi sighed in defeat as he watched his chances of obtaining the proffered information lessen with each word that the elder said. Releasing his lip from the contraption of his teeth, he decided to see if apologizing to him would help gain him any ounce of knowledge that had been promised. "As Exorcists, we need the information that you have. I'm sorry to say that our supervisor has a ridiculous sister complex, because I don't want to be standing in front of you for that reason. However, it would seem that I am. Still, would it be possible for you to tell me the information anyways, and then we can both go our separate ways?"

The redhead already knew that asking that question had been pointless, since there was nothing the Noah had to gain if he gave up the information, but he still had everything to lose. However, Lavi could at least say that he tried to get the information, even when the conditions for it clearly were not met.

Golden eyes looked into Lavi's own jade eye as the Noah decided to make his reply. "I'm afraid not. I made myself explicitly clear in my letter to your organization." Lavi grumbled under his breath and his head fell forward to muffle some of the curses at Tyki, fate, and Komui that were slipping from his lips. His distraction from annoyance was strong enough that he almost missed the Noah's next words. "You are correct, however; it is not your fault that you were sent here instead of who I asked for." Lavi looked up to see the thoughtful look that was making its way across the darker male's face. "That would have to mean that one of the female Exorcists is a relative of your supervisor, his sister if I remember what you said correctly. Should you choose to answer, which Exorcist is she?"

Lavi looked into the elder man's eyes as if to confirm the non-malicious intent of the asker. "I'm surprised you don't already know, since she's Road's doll. Her name is Lenalee Li."

The Noah's eyes widened a fraction in surprise before he began to laugh at the irony of the situation. "The young girl with the transformed Innocence? Oh dear..." Tyki shook his head as he laughed. "Then I guess it will be a shock for him, when the time comes..." the brunette trailed off before he revealed too much. Lavi looked at him puzzled but the elder just waved him off. "Oh never mind. It's all a part of the secret that I would have to give." He broke off to chuckle some more at the current situation. "So tell me, Mr. Librarian, has anyone else's Innocence changed like the Li girl's?"

Lavi scowled at the Noah who was now mocking him with his title, which had unfortunately trapped him in this crummy situation to begin with. "Either tell me or don't!" Lavi exclaimed as he made sure to look the taller male in the eyes. "However, if you're not going to help then don't resort to immature teasing. In fact..." Lavi paused as he glanced downwards to grab the bag the he had dropped when he initially ran into the Noah. "In fact," he repeated as he finally decided how he wanted to end the statement. "I'm leaving. It was nice meeting you, Tyré." Keeping his finishing words short, Lavi turned to go back to the station that he had arrived in.

He had barely taken a step when a hand had reached out to grab his arm. The tight grip on his arm caused Lavi to jump and let a small sound of surprise as he turned to face the man who'd grabbed him. The brunette wasn't facing him and focused instead on the area just to the right, deep in thought. A moment later, Tyki turned to look him directly in the eye again. "And here I thought you wanted the information that I am offering so willingly."

Lavi gave the elder a dark glare as he pulled his arm from the Noah's grip. "You've already made it clear that you're not going to tell me since we've both been wronged in this situation!"

Tyki looked over the younger once more and fully analyzed his situation. "However, I also made it very clear that I need someone to act as my beloved for a couple of months."

The redhead rolled his eyes at the confusing actions the other man was taking. "Then find yourself a harlot; it's already been made clear that your situation no longer concerns me." Lavi turned to go to the station once more, but Tyki stopped and turned him around again.

"I thought you needed this information on the Innocence?"

Agitated, confused, and frustrated, the younger looked the Noah in eye. "Didn't we already have this conversation?" Tyki removed the cigarette from his mouth before tilting back his head to laugh and let out his mirth. This only helped to further irritate the Bookman, as he glowered darkly at the man mocking him. Giving up on understanding the laughing man, he turned around again to get on the next train back to the Black Order.

"Ah, Coelho?" He heard Tyki say as he continued to walk away. He could perceive the sound of footsteps quickly following him and internally sighed. He thought this was settled already, but apparently the Noah had other ideas.

He suddenly felt a hand grab his in a gentler manner than the before. Shocked, Lavi whirled towards the man once more and found himself within the Noah's embrace. He tensed as he remained still, stunned and unsure of what was going on. The hand that had helped pull him into this situation gently came up so the fingers could brush through his hair. He jerked in the hold in hopes of being able to escape, and doubled his efforts as the Pleasure's smooth voice reached his ears. "I'm sorry, meu querido Coelho, I could not help myself."

Lavi tried pushing at the other man's chest in a greater attempt to get out of Tyki's arms. "T-Tyki! What are you doing!" He stumbled over the man's name because he doubted how he was supposed to address his contact now that he was, behaving as he was. The sudden shift in character, while natural for the typically impulsive Noah, confused the Bookman who found this situation unpredictable. The rational side of his brain was telling him to grab his weapon and attack the dangerous male in front of him, while the more emotional side of his brain remained in shock at the puzzling behavior. What was going through the mind of the Noah that he had missed?

Lavi stepped out of touching distance as soon as he felt Tyki's arms loosen enough to allow his to be freed without causing a scene. The brunette gazed apologetically at the redhead as he decided to continue on his current path. "I'm sorry for my behavior, meu coelho. It's just been so long since I last saw you. You understand don't you?" He then leaned in to loom over Lavi as he hoped to get his message across.

An emerald eye widened in comprehension as its owner realized the reason for the sudden change in behavior. It seems that he was going to be taking on the role of fiancé after all. Lavi wasn't completely against the opportunity now presented to him, except for the fact that he would need to play the part of the Tyki Mikk's betrothed. However, this was a long duration mission and he was going to try to be as comfortable as possible. "I'm not cross-dressing for you, so I hope you're happy with a fiancé, the one with one 'e.'"

Tyki's mouth split into a grin as he took in the Exorcist's acceptance. "Of course. Why would I ask you to be something you obviously can't be, coelho?"

Lavi rolled his eye at the pet name that he was almost positive that the Noah got from the yelling Yuu-chan had given him on the Ark. "Please refrain from calling me that, it really creeps me out." It makes me think of what you might actually use for a lover. Deciding to move past the conversation of what he was and how he should be referred to, the redhead turned their speech toward the mission. Tyki Mikk, despite being the Noah of Pleasure, was currently a client of the Black Order, after all. "Until we get to where we need to be, can you explain to me precisely what it is I'm here for? Is there a specific occasion or inheritance condition or..." he trailed off with the intentional hope Tyki would fill in the blank.

"Your current alias is still Lavi, correct?" The brunette seemed to ignore the question as he went after his own information first. Lavi, while miffed, figured the brunette would get to the answer eventually. He nodded his affirmation and followed the elder as he turned and began to walk down the street. Tyki turned his head to the side and analyzed the younger male for a few seconds. "Nineteen?"

"I'm Twenty," Lavi corrected; he may have only finished his teens a few months back, but he was glad that he could no longer be termed a 'hormonal teenager.' It had been frustrating enough when Bookman had called him that at once, before he had been sent to Cuba over a year and a half ago; before he had altered Bookman's mind about him and his ability to become the next Bookman by going on that solo mission.

"I am twenty-eight." Tyki's voice snapped him back to the present as Lavi nodded again and stored the information freely given to him. The Noah hummed as he seemed to think about how to present his next topic of discussion. He took a final drag from his cigarette as it had now burned to the filter, and he stubbed it out on a brick wall they were passing before disposing of the butt properly. The single green eye recorded all of this in the hopes of deciphering it later to truly examine his pretend fiancé's personality.

Walking a few more steps down the sidewalk, Tyki began, "This may seem rather... silly, but I need someone to act as my betrothed because my mother is coming to town in two days." There seemed to be a slight spreading of red across the elder's cheeks but the younger couldn't really be sure with the now tanner skin of the Noah.

"Your mother?" he asked questioningly as alarm bells were going off about there being something wrong with that statement. He began recalling his first meeting with the other man as he realized the reason for those bells. "I thought you said you were an orphan when you were in your white form back when we met?"

There was a slight chuckle before the explanation began. "I was living in that persona, Bookman. My black and white forms are two different people. I'm sure you can understand the need to alter your personal history for the sake of living as another person, right, coelho?"

"I thought I told you to stop calling me by those kinds of names for now. It's strange to hear them come from you." Despite his objections to the pet name, he did agree with the brunette about the statement over personal history and personas. He had changed his own often enough as well.

Tyki smirked, "It may be strange, but we may as well practice and started getting used to terms of endearment now. We have two days to pull together an act about how we've known each other for a couple years."

Lavi paled at the thought. "You've got to be kidding. You've been lying to your mother for years about having a fiancée?"

"No, I've been lying to her for a month when she began pestering me about it. I lied about having a fiancée for years." He paused before deciding to explain the reason for the lies. "She always thought I needed someone suitable like Sheryl's wife, and I wanted to make her happy."

The younger understood that reasoning, but still had some questions. "What made you decide to ask for an Exorcist in the Black Order?"

This question gained him an amused smile as the Noah gave his answer. "You can almost call it a whim. Why hire a harlot and train them to be nothing more than a gold digger when I can have fun by easily convincing your Order to send someone and make it work yours and my time?"

Lavi glared at the half answer to his question and shifted his suitcase to his other hand as the first had grown tired of carrying the contents. "We fight against each other, not enjoy each other's company."

Another chilling laugh came forth. "Ah, but are we not already in a play written by the Earl's hands? What is this but another act in the grand performance of the show?" He halted suddenly after his claims causing the redhead to go another couple extra steps before stopping as well. Lavi turned to look questioningly at the other but was only beckoned closer. He did so with caution and nearly freaked out as the Noah unexpectedly leaned forward, brushing his tanned cheek against Lavi's pale one.

Breath ghosted over an ear as Tyki began talk whisper directly there, "This will be the only time I will say this, because I know I am not be tailed at the moment. The information that I possess is so significant that the Millennium Earl would rather strike me dead than have me pass it on to you." Lavi nodded slightly, knowing Tyki would probably feel rather see the movement. He shivered as the elder's lips brushed against the shell of his ear with each word spoken. "Can you do this simple request for me, Lavi? It is also in your nature to figure things out, correct?"

The Noah retracted slowly, allowing his lips to press against the Exorcist's cheek in a silent promise of the secrets that would be told as he stood up straight. Lavi's free hand instinctively came up to the place where Tyki had previously placed his lips. He nodded to the brunette's question as words remained in capable of taking form.

A knowing grin made its way across the younger's features and words formed once more. "A rogue Noah?"

The older male shrugged indifferently, "It's happened before, and the future is almost always bound to repeat the past."

"Which one?" Lavi had a suspicion on who it was in the past, but he want to confirm his hypothesis before writing the conclusion.

"You know him as Allen Walker."

Tension formed between the two of them. It was uncomfortable and nonverbally decided to be dropped off the conversation topics list. The fourteenth was a dangerous topic to both sides of this war; he brought up too many questions: Was there a third side to the war, why did he betray the Earl, how many connections had he made to the people in the current war, was he the true author of this play rather than the Earl...?

"So when did you decide betrayal was the answer?" Lavi asked, both genuinely curious and also hoping to skirt the previous topic. There was too much that could be brought up from that course of action that would detract from the situation they were now in.

However, the jump in conversation seemed to be too short for Tyki as the other hissed, "Hush, Coelho. I'll tell you later, but for now there are secrets to be kept." Must be a big secret, the Bookman thought as he accepted the secrecy for now.

The elder began to walk again and Lavi followed, not knowing the destination. It couldn't be too much farther, as they had already walked for at least fifteen minutes and the Pleasure was wealthy enough that he would've brought a carriage if their trek was going to be over a mile.

They walked for a minute when the Exorcist decided to get more information for his mission. "Tell me more about what you have told your mother in your letters," he offered as a new topic. "The more information that I can get, the more realistic I can get this act to be for both our sakes."

Tyki nodded as the tension from their previous conversation dissolved. He was silent as he seemed to be thinking about the letters. A smirk graced his face once more, "I told her I had found someone of amazing beauty with a fiery personality, an extraordinary education, and—"

Lavi cut him off by clearing his throat loudly. "I'm sure you are a good actor, since you need to be able to go back and forth between your black and white forms. However, I assure you that I am just as good if not better because of my own need to be able change personas. So, let us save the theatrics for the actual performance that we will need to do later."

Tyki's eyes widened in surprise, but his face changed into a leer as he went to test the Bookman, "How do you know if I am practicing or not, meu querido coelho? How do you know that I was not thinking of you when I writing to her of my beloved?"

"Your reaction from when we ran into each other on the train platform." Lavi said blankly. "You asked me if I was here alone with words that hinted that you were expecting someone else with me." The brunette shrugged with a small smile that gave a silent 'true enough' to the other's clues. "I can see why you requested an exorcist from the Order though." We're the ones who wear the targets on our bodies, and you may as well take someone out with you when you go down. Finders, though recognizable, would've been sent without disguise and typically wore hoods that allowed them to be unrecognizable in their nonworking hours. Exorcists, on the other hand, went out and greeted people while wearing the badge and carrying the scent of their weapons.

The elder male obviously knew the respective uniforms of the Black Order's field agents and had seen more distinguishable Exorcists than Finders in his travels. Therefore, the Noah's reasons went without saying as they continued their walk.

There was also the other obvious reason of why Tyki had not been thinking of him when writing the letter that spoke more volumes than the words spoken in the train station. He had requested a fiancée instead of a fiancé, and Lavi was clearly not female; and logically, the other would want to match his description of what he had requested to be as accurate as possible when he sent the request to the Order. It made sense for the man to tell his mother of his betrothed being female since that was stereotypical of males today because of years of homosexuality being illegal.

There a faint chiming of a clock tower in the distance that alerted Lavi that it was now five o'clock in the evening. With the chimes, people began to flood the walk way that previously only the two business partners and a few other had been walking along.

They slowed down to accept the crowd. "Your mother..." Lavi held his question to allow himself to get out of the thick part of the opposing current of people. "What would she say about me? Specifically, what would she say have to say about my not being female and all...?" He continued after finally emerging from the crowd that was adamant about going the opposite direction.

Tyki was polite enough to wait for him as he had passed the crowd at a faster rate. He had been walking on the street side and had calmly stepped onto the streets after ensuring that there was not a carriage around to run him over as he walked there. He smiled as he imagined his mother now. "Even though she is particularly critical on how some behaves and holds their share of the conversation, gender is not something that she looks at when considering someone. People are people, regardless of their gender. As her sons, Sheryl and I have been brought up under that same ideal." He fondly remembered some of the times Sheryl had been punished when he had dared to oppose their mother's thinking, which led into the not so fond memories of his own punishments.

However, Tyki decided to get back to the question which he had been asked. "I didn't tell her much, to be honest. I only told her that I found someone who possessed the qualities that I've been looking for in a person." He turned from the main road and down an alley, slowing down to make sure the Exorcist was still following him.

Lavi was curious now about the Pleasure as person with the vagueness of his statement. "Then what do you look for in a partner?" he questioned as he took in the alley way they had turned down. At the end, there was a wall and no way to escape from the dangerous man who had led him there in the first place. He slowed his pace as his brain began to warn him about what was most likely going to happen to him if he continued to follow the Noah, who despite being a client could still be considered an enemy of the Exorcists.

Tyki spun around suddenly and tightly grasped Lavi wrists that had instinctively come up as the Bookman sensed movement. The taller male forcefully pushed the smaller against a side wall with an overwhelming strength that the other had not expected. His wrists were pressed level with his head while the Pleasure's body pressed itself intimately close to his. His brain rang with internal alarms as he realized he was sandwiched between the Noah and the wall, and he forced himself to fight back. He tried to push the older off, but after several failed attempts, he lifted his face, growling with the intention of giving the other a piece of his mind. His growl was drowned out by the large sound of rushing wind that he barely felt because of the person in front of him.

What he did feel was what made him wonder what was going on. His body was essentially immobile for all intents and purposes even though there didn't seem to be a wall behind him anymore. The ground felt like it was moving under his feet, sliding as the limbs were incapable of moving at the moment. There were also the different textures of the ground and people that they brushed against, who seemed not to notice the pair as they travelled infinitely faster. He could feel the press of Tyki's body against his which, while being unwanted, was comfortable because it was at least a familiar feeling. The only semi-painful feel was his eye drying from the wind that was created from their rapid movement. The eye was watering in the unconscious attempt to prevent itself from drying out.

It seemed like his eye held the only movement he could make and he raised his eye to look at the taller's face. Being only five inches away, it was easy enough to discern that the Noah was used to this, even with the water blurring his vision. Lavi might have enjoyed this more and taken in more of the details if only he knew what it was.

The ride only lasted a few seconds giving the redhead only a few moments to begin to understand what happened to him. He felt the grip on his wrists loosen and felt the world spin around him. He lost his balance and fell to floor, but avoided hitting his head by falling onto his rear and forearms. He allowed himself to lie flat on the tile that definitely did not exist in the alley he had been in, as his surroundings proceeded to spin.

"Teleportation," Tyki's voice processed through the dizziness of the environment that Lavi was currently experiencing. "It is not the best way to travel, especially for a first timer such as you. Yet despite the discomfort, it is the fastest way to travel that anyone will ever find." Lavi hummed in acknowledgement, not wanting to vomit his lunch further by forcing his head to move when it had not caught up to him yet.

Strong arms hoisted him off the ground before he thought himself ready to stand yet. However, they were nice enough to help stabilize him while his balance remained just out of his reach. He picked a spot to focus on and hoped the spinning would end soon as he took in the details of the small area that he was chosen to focus on. It shined and sparkled with cleanliness that confirmed he was no longer in the alley they had been in less than a minute ago.

"Welcome," he heard Tyki say, probably with that ever present smirk that he always wore around the Exorcists. "...to the Kamelot Manor."

Challenge time:

If anyone can guess what year it is and/or what war Lavi documented (though if you know the second one you know the first), I will dedicate some of the chapters to you.... plus lots of cookies and brownie points.

requirements:

none, just don't give your answer in a review. Please PM all answers to me. Also, you can't be my beta, sorry Koholint.

Til next time.