Author's Note: Okay, first off--yes, we know this chapter is three days late. That is my (Tofu-Master) fault alone, and for that, I am sorry. It was a busy weekend, and some stuff happened that needed to be dealt with, but...yeah. Also, the document still needed to be sent to Harmony for input and, and approval. Hopefully, this will teach me not to leave editing till literally the last minute? (Or last day, but hey--it still amounts to the same thing, right? ). In fact, I think I'mma get to work on chapter five later on tomorrow (seeing as tomorrow's only about...five minutes away, where I am...).
So yeah. Sorry for the wait--really. And you guys are all welcome to kill me--but not until after you see...that this chapter is roughly ten pages longer than average. So--it's worth it, ne? Ne? D
Disclaimer: We do not own G Gray-Man, sadly. And--even more sadly, this disclaimer had been typed at 6am, and I was too tired to think of something witty. And now--I'm too lazy to change it. So this boring old thing will have to do, ne? -sarcastically blows on one of those awesome party-whistle things--yeah, those ones. The ones that annoy the living shit out of everybody, except the person using them-
Warnings for This Chapter: Uhm...Sheryl. o.o Just--Sheryl. That in and of itself should be warning enough, right? Now, what else...? Oh yes. Tyki's driving, severe exaggeration, angry/jealous secretaries, molestation of underage individuals, SCONES O_O, questions being asked in an interview that--really shouldn't be asked in an interview, water-bottles being throw at supposedly unsuspecting heads, inappropriate usage of the Portuguese language (but it makes us lawl, so), underage drinking, Kanda's vocabulary, drunken babbling, and...a hand-job. *Q*
Chapter Four
"Introduction"
When they both got back into Tyki's car, Lavi's head had almost completely stopped pounding. He was thankful for that, as he was sure the anxiety he was now feeling would have only made his headache worse. He looked over at the Portuguese man in the seat beside him, and smiled nervously.
"So...on a scale from one-to-ten, how screwed am I?" he asked. Of course, he didn't mean that in the 'literal' sense, but one never knew how a man such as Tyki would interpret it.
Tyki raised an eyebrow, nearly certain that the boy hadn't meant to...phrase it quite like he had. "Hm...well, it depends on if he takes a liking to you--which I assure you he will. Right now I'll set it at seven--assuming ten is the biggest threat. Now if he makes me leave then we'll turn it up to eleven."
He started the engine, and soon they found themselves speeding along the streets--Lavi clinging to the edges of the passenger seat--eyes wide in fright-
And, well, one would always say 'Shouldn't you delay the inevitable'--well, for Tyki it was more like 'Why delay when you can just get it over with?' Or at least...in this case, because the situation would be disastrous if they were late...
He just hoped his brother wouldn't show interest. Hoped against hope, even though he knew he would.
"Oh...uhm, well--okay then," Lavi mumbled, his response rather meek. So...if Sheryl asked--or most likely, told--Tyki to leave...then--"Well...could you just--I'unno, say 'no'?"
If this guy was as...touchy-feely as Tyki had said he was, then Lavi wasn't too sure he wanted to be left alone with him...for any period of time, no matter how short.
Tyki let out a sigh, slamming on his breaks as they swerved around a corner. "Quite honestly, I would love to say--I could say 'no' that easily. But," he let out another sigh, "I suppose you'll see when you get there."
He cast a glance at Lavi, who paled even more. "Don't worry though, I will try and remain close by no matter what."
Like that was any small comfort, and he knew it wasn't...he shuddered inwardly at the thought. At the thought of his brother running his hands down Lavi's sides, stomach, rubbing his shoulders--flirting-
It wasn't a pleasant image, at all. It nearly made him run a red light--make that did, and change one to two--but the building was right there, so it wasn't like they would get caught. Of course. He'd just scare Lavi shitless, that's all.
Lavi shivered, and all but fell out of the car as he pushed the door open. Straightening up to stand on shaky legs, he looked back over at Tyki with a slight grimace.
"Y'know...ya really gotta fix that habit...before you kill me, right?" He laughed then, shaking his head. "Well...we might as well go in, huh? I'll follow you. Like--right behind you. You're safe..."
Saying he was nervous was a huge understatement. The boy was quite nearly petrified! But...as long as Tyki was with him, he knew he'd be fine. The thing was...he needed to somehow keep Tyki with him.
Tyki watched as the boy practically glued himself to his side, never being more than a few footsteps behind him at any given point--and each time they passed by a group of people that he knew (or that he knew because of when he used to live with brother dearest and they...um...yeah), Lavi would just press closer, until they finally stepped out of the elevator onto the 24th floor (really 18th, not counting the ones beneath the ground floor).
And almost immediately, he was pulled into a very strong hug, with a voice ringing too loudly in his ears, "Brother~ It's been such a long time since I've seen you at the office!"
He tried to extract himself, but it didn't quite work--though thankfully the man did it for him a moment later.
"You really should visit more often."
"But I did," Tyki deadpanned. "Just yesterday--brother." He felt Lavi stiffen next to him, with a sharp intake of breath, and before he realized it, he was moving to the side (which was by no will of his own, mind you) and Sheryl was there, standing right where he had been--in front of the redhead.
"And you must be Lavi?"
Lavi gulped, his eyes traveling up from the man's chest--which was much too close to his face--to the man's own face. His...really, really /hot/ face. The teen's eyes widened slightly, and much to his utter dismay and horrification--he blushed.
"Uhm..." He coughed, then continued. "Yes. Yes, I am."
Why? Why did all the supposed 'sexual predators' he knew, have to be so Goddamn...sexy?? It wasn't fair. It just made them harder to resist. Damnit.
Sheryl cocked his head to the side and smirked. That wasn't a good smirk--Tyki had seen that smirk before, and knew it couldn't lead to anything good, but before he could open his mouth to say a word, Sheryl cut him off.
"Tokusa, could you give Tyki those papers I need him to sign...that he failed to, because he left the office so early?"
Immediately, Tokusa (what position the man actually filled, Tyki didn't want to know) stepped out from behind the desk, a folder of papers in his hands as he sauntered over to them, glancing warily at Lavi before slapping the folder against his chest.
"You really should learn to do your work more efficiently, Tyki," the blonde remarked teasingly, though not in a hostile manner--and poked the man's stomach. "Try to be more responsible--like your brother, maybe?"
He laughed, then turned, smiling softly at Sheryl, and casting another cautious-yet-curious glance at the redheaded newcomer, before he walked back to his desk--now ignoring the three completely.
Sheryl smiled equally as softly back at the man, and Tyki felt himself grimace. "Ah--right...work. Yes. Brother, do I have-"
"Yes, you have to do it now. Shoo, shoo--you haven't been in the office for days, people think you've died."
"But I haven't-"
Sheryl shot him a look, and his mouth snapped shut. "Good~ Now go do your work. You may be my brother, but I have every means possible to fire you if you don't do the required work, and then we'll have to move back in together--which wouldn't be so bad--it was so much fun, wasn't it~?"
No it wasn't. Definitely not.
"Not particularly." The man looked hurt. "But I don't have to go to my office, do I?"
"Well, you certainly can't do it in here."
"You can do many things in an office." Oh, wait that sounded wrong. "But it's meant for paper work."
"But I don't have any extra pens."
Tyki blinked.
"Ah--and--and--the research material is on your desk, you know? I made Tokusa," the man looked up briefly, "deliver it there earlier. So you really have no choice~" He made a waving motion with his hands, and before Tyki could quite comprehend exactly what was going on, he was being pushed out by two nameless bodyguards (he had...bodyguards? Since when?), and Lavi, well--the last glance he had of the poor boy, was one of absolutely horrified shock.
Well. That hadn't gone well. If the telltale blush on the boy's cheeks was anything to go by either.
After getting over the initial shock of being separated from Tyki, Lavi forced his heart to stop beating so damn fast, and turned a blank stare on Sheryl.
"...Your brother warned me about you, y'know," he remarked absently, as if none of this was really a big deal at all--but it was. Because Sheryl was coming closer. And suddenly the blank expression on Lavi's face broke--only for a moment--to show his paranoia.
Tokusa looked up briefly from his work, giving Lavi a pitying shrug, before glaring disapprovingly at the back of his boss' head. Oh for Hell--Sheryl would never learn, would he?
Sheryl smirked at the boy's reaction, but quickly wiped it off his face for a carefully tailored hurt expression. "Oh? He warned you, did he? What could dear brother have to say about me, that could possibly be bad?"
The boy stiffened when he leaned down closer --he could see the flash of paranoia in his lone green eye. "Now come on, we've only just met, and--I'm being terribly rude, aren't I?" He quickly swiveled on his heel to face the opposite direction. "Now, now, come with me--I have some tea and scones freshly made in my office, which is just this small room over here. Why don't you join me in eating them? Then we can get straight to business~"
"Well...to make a long story short, he said you were a terrible pervert, and that I should be careful around you," Lavi replied seemingly indifferently, rather calm now that the man's back was facing him. He followed Sheryl to the indicated room--walking at the same pace, so as to keep the distance between them from changing. "Oh, and--that depends on just what you mean by 'business', I suppose."
"It depends on what you think I mean by 'business'," Sheryl hummed, casting a warning glance to Tokusa who looked slightly amused by the whole situation, before holding the door open for the redhead to come in. It was slightly amusing, as well, how the boy tensed as he walked right by him.
"But honestly--you're here because you are a Bookman's apprentice...though..." He appraised the boy, eyes sliding up and down--hm, red hair, firm build, nice ass (his lips twitched at that), and he was blind on his right side. Perfect.
He moved around to the boy's right, and touched his shoulder lightly. "Now here," he let go for only a moment, to grab one of the delicious scones, "try one~"
Lavi flinched the second Sheryl's hand made contact with his shoulder. Damnit...it was the old 'take advantage of the blind kid' trick. Oh well...he should have expected it, in all honestly. He held a hand up in rejection of the scone. "It's okay...I'll grab my own, thanks. I don't know where your hands have been."
Then, the man's words finally caught up to his ears. "Uhm...what exactly were you getting at with 'though'...?" He turned to face Sheryl--keeping the man on his left side--and watched him warily.
Sheryl frowned slightly at the boy's rejection. "Goodness, I have no idea where you thought my hands have been--but I can assure you, they're clean." He patted the boy's shoulder, then. "As for 'though'," he pondered the thought, tapping his fingers lightly on the boy's shoulder, before drawing random patterns there--oh, was that a shiver? "Hm, well, I suppose I am curious about you myself. You're so...young..."
"I'm almost nineteen, yeah," Lavi admitted, nodding. Honestly, if Tyki hadn't...demonstrated the 'awkward touching' thing for him...he would probably be having a nervous breakdown right now. An obvious one. He shook his head, and grabbed a scone, taking a small bite. As it was...he was just trying to ignore Sheryl's advances.
'But you don't want to~' that annoying voice in his head told him. Inwardly, he told it to shut the fuck up. Outwardly, he blushed...because he knew it was right. At least, partially. However creepy, the man was highly attractive.
"So...what exactly are you 'curious' about, then?"
Sheryl hummed lightly, taking a bite of his own scone, before putting it down and tapping the boy's shoulder again--giving it a squeeze a moment later. "Well, just...I suppose, tell me about yourself--treat this like an interview. After all, it's good for business associates to be on common ground, don't you think?" He gave off what he hoped was a dazzling smile, and apparently it worked. Goodness, usually he scared people by now...why wasn't this boy scared? Should he be thanking Tyki for it, or?
"Uhm...well--in an 'interview', doesn't it usually go that the interviewer asks the other questions?" he asked smartly. He'd never been good at just 'telling about himself'. It was...well, awkward. "I mean...I don't know what sort of stuff you want to know about me...though, I can imagine..." The last part was muttered quietly, of course.
He took a small step back, then, and looked up at Sheryl with a half-hearted glare. "Must you...really be so touchy?"
Sheryl hummed at that. "Touchy? Oh, I'm always like this, terribly sorry." Not that he'd stop. Of course, it was much too fun--did the boy even know he was blushing?--Oh, and look what running his hand down the boy's arm did~!
'Now, now, Sheryl, don't get too excited~' he mentally scolded himself, taking another bite out of his scone. "Hum, well--do you honestly want me to ask the questions?" He moved to the desk and leaned against it, smirking at the redhead. "Because quite honestly, most people don't."
And goodness, he was blushing again. So amusing. So...endearing--was this the boy that his dear brother had shown such keen interest in?
Lavi nodded, his blush having deepened slightly. "Yeah, I want you to ask the questions. It'd be Hella easier than trying to relay a last-minute biography of my life to you, without any prompts."
Moving away from Sheryl, he took a seat in one of the chairs, and bit another small chunk out of his scone. He allowed himself to relax a bit, sighing softly. Then, looking up at Sheryl once again, he prodded, "Well?"
Sheryl watched as the boy sat, and hummed. "Well, I suppose we can start with the usual--name, age, date of birth. You may lie if you like--after all, you are a Bookman's apprentice."
And it seemed so utterly amusing the look on the boy's face at that--shocked, confused, embarrassed--"Goodness, you didn't think I knew you were an outright liar?" He pushed himself away from the table, and sauntered over to the boy, who was sitting.
"Who do you take me for, hmm?" And he waited, point blank (nearly. Close enough.) in front of the flustered boy, watching his face and soon his ears tinge red--for the answer to his question.
Lavi coughed lightly, and averted his gaze. "Well, y'know...I'm...actually not as good an 'Apprentice' as Gramps woulda liked. I...break rules--a lot of them. And maybe he doesn't even know, but if he does, he doesn't say anything... In any case, what I'm getting at is--I don't lie. Ususally. Not unless I absolutely hafta. So--any questions you have for me, I'll try to answer as honestly as I can. Okay?"
Then, letting out a soft sigh, "My name is Lavi--as you know--and I don't have a fuckin' clue what my last name is, if I even had one to begin with. Panda-jiji won't tell me, because he says it doesn't matter. I'm eighteen now, but I'll be turning nineteen on August 10th. ...Anything else? I'm sure that's not all you're interested in."
Sheryl blinked, slightly surprised by the boy's words. "Oh? Hm, naughty apprentice, then." Even though now wasn't the time to be...joking. "Well then, since you won't lie--and that's a very good thing, by the way."
He patted the boy's knee before sitting down, roughly, next to him. "I suppose I'll ask...what do you believe your strengths/weaknesses are? What are your motivations, favorite subjects in school, things that bore you to no end..." He waved his hand in a vague motion, before giving the boy another smile--one, he caught himself at the last minute--that wasn't...quite as creepy as he wanted it to be. But, ah, well...he didn't need to be creepy all the time, did he? Even if it was fun...
Lavi couldn't help but blush...again. He was really getting sick of that...and he was sure Sheryl had noticed. And so-
"Well...I guess one 'weakness' that you've probably picked up on already, is that I blush...a lot... I'm easily embarrassed, so...yeah. I suck horrendously at sports, but that's probably because I have really bad depth perception--my eye, obviously, or lack thereof... Uhm--I...have slight authority issues, which is probably why I go and break so many of the rules Bookman lays down for me--some worse than others." He caught Sheryl raising an eyebrow at this, and inwardly cursed himself. "My strengths...I'm really smart, so I'm in all IB-classes--not to brag, but it's the truth. I'm outgoing, laid back, and people seem to like me...?"
He laughed at this. He really didn't understand why people seemed to like him so much, especially when he didn't really try to make friends. He had too many already, as it were--at least, that was what Bookman thought. "My favorite subject in school...would...probably be Psychology. It fascinates me. On the other hand, I don't actually care for Drama too much...I already have to act every day as it is. Math is boring as fuck, though. I can't stand it. And chick-flicks. Holy-Hell, they are beyond unentertaining. I mean--really? Do people actually believe that stuff?" He made a disgusted face, and shook his head.
"As for my motivations... I left this one for last, because--honestly? I really can't say I'm quite sure anymore."
Well, that was certainly...enlightening. "What kind of rules...do you break? We might...need to watch that, depending on what they are." Sheryl cocked his head to the side when the boy's blush darkened ten-fold. "And yes, the blushing. Hm, it makes you look adorable though~"
"So I wouldn't worry about it. As for being social, as you were already told by brother-dearest, I tend to...freak people out more often than not, thus Tyki or Tokusa--my personal secretary--are in charge of dealing with the people. Neither of which are very social, themselves. So it will be good working with you~"
He thought over what he just said. "Hm, now any other questions...? Ah! I know--what was the most amazing place you had ever been to? I assume you, at least used to, travel a lot as a Bookman? Also...any friends you're close to, that sort of thing--and why of course." He flashed another smile that turned out a little less creepy, and waited for this round of answers.
Lavi could have kicked himself, when he felt the heat rise and spread across his cheeks, fueling a blush that--he knew--would not fade for quite a while. Especially not once he answered this particular question. Sighing heavily, and turning his face away, he did just that.
"Well--I'm sure you know how a Bookman ain't supposed to have any...'relationships'...right?" he asked hesitantly. "Well...I do. A lot. If they can even be called relationships, but...stuff...happens...that Bookman'd kill me if he knew I did..." Lavi flinched at the mere thought of it.
"As for...places? I like them all the same, but, uhm..." It was quite apparent the boy was flustered. "I guess--I liked Italy the best? It really stood apart, anyways..."
"And my 'friends'...well--there's Yuu-chan...an', uhm--not gunna get into that... Allen and Lenalee... I talk to Lenalee, because I can relate to her, in ways I can't with anyone else. And Tyki... But really, that's...it."
Sheryl hummed. "Well...relationships--no matter of what kind--are needed to survive, as they say. Though yes," he let out a sigh, shutting his eyes for a moment, "I might not know the man as well as you--but I wouldn't doubt the repercussions for it." Then his lips twitched upward.
"But enough of this serious conversation~ Let's get onto the interesting questions now!" He clapped his hands, and scooted even closer to the redhead. "So~ I can tell from looking at you, you're a virgin, aren't you? Haven't been knocked up, hmm~?"
"W-whaaaa-!?" Lavi sputtered, eye widening considerably, as the shade of his cheeks rose even higher, to match the bright color of his hair. "What--what kinda question is that??"
Seeing as Sheryl's smile only widened at that, Lavi was forced to realize that the man seriously expected an answer. He sighed, and mumbled, "Yeah, I am. I mean...I could have, but--I've never quite gone that far--though he offered..." He trailed off near the end, his voice growing quieter with each word.
"He?" Immediately the boy cringed, and scooted away, like Sheryl was going to do anything--goodness! "I won't do anything to you, if that's what you're wondering." Not now, anyway. "But who is this he? Wouldn't happen to be brother dearest, would it? Oh dear."
Because if it was then--then--"I might have to speak with him later." And even though he said he wouldn't do anything, he still found his hands traveling to the boy's body, brushing his leg, then hip--the redhead was practically frozen in place.
'Oooh, my' he let out a sigh and stood up, extending a hand to Lavi. "Well, I suppose that's enough for the questions...why don't I show you around the building now~? We can pick Tyki up, and then maybe--hm--it's still quite a bit early for dinner now--it's only four o'clock in the afternoon--but who knows? I'm sure we have much more to discuss about, and over a meal would be lovely don't you think?"
He still kept his hand extended there, though, towards the boy. After all, wouldn't it be interesting if the boy took it?
"Uh...yeah, actually... It was Tyki," he admitted quietly, blushing now more than ever. Wait...why had he admitted that? Why??? Oh well...it was too late now. He could only hope Sheryl wouldn't be making too much of a big deal out of it--or could he even do that? "But, uhm--I guess, yeah, dinner sounds fine...as does showing me around?"
He sighed, averting his eyes to the side, and looking back--taking Sheryl's hand after a few moments' hesitation.
Sheryl felt his lips twitch into a smile as the boy grasped his hand--hesitantly, but he still did. Something no one else had done before. 'Interesting...' He didn't even let go until they reached the door, and only then it was because--oh lo and behold-
It was Tokusa, looking very much peeved. "Ah, what's the matter, Toku-chan?" Though he had a distinct feeling he already knew, because he could hear muffled voices coming from the other side of the door--one of which sounded faintly like his dear brother.
Tokusa spun around to glare at his boss. "You're a filthy pervert, that's what!" he snapped, huffing. "And I'm a twenty-one-year-old man, Sheryl! There's no need to put 'chan' on my name. It's degrading."
Lavi couldn't help but snicker, slightly--earning him a rather frustrated look from the blonde, after which he promptly shut himself up.
Sheryl blinked and guffawed. "But--you're my cute little Guppy~ Of course you deserve a '-chan' on the end of your name! It's a term of endearment~" And he was pretty sure the man was glaring death at him, so he hurried on his way. "But yes, of course, busy things to do, yes--yes indeed...come along now, Lovey--that's what Tyki calls you, isn't it? I hope you don't mind it--the building can't come to us, we must go to it~"
When really, he just wanted to get out of the room. Now. As quickly as possible.
"I. Am not. A guppy!!!!" Tokusa barked after them, throwing his half-empty water-bottle, which--with good aim--bounced right off the top of Sheryl's head. Curiously enough, he didn't bother to object to the 'my' part of the statement.
Lavi would have laughed at the man's unfortunate situation, but he himself was currently too disgruntled to do so. "I--yes, I mind it!" he snapped, flustered. As they got closer, he saw Tyki, arguing with a few of the guards. Now why would he be--?
Breaking off from Sheryl, the redhead ran over to Tyki, latching onto the man's arm, and asked, "What's going on? Aren't you supposed to be w-o-r-k-i-n-g?"
Tyki glanced down at the redhead currently attached to his arm. "Ah--well--yes, I was...about to but..." he trailed off, shooting a glare at Sheryl, whose lips...twitched too...pleasantly...as if he figured out something. "I hope my brother didn't ask anything too personal...did he?" He pulled the boy closer, feeling, rather than seeing the blush--the warmth radiating from the boy's cheeks.
"My, I'm certain I didn't ask too much," Sheryl responded with a sharp grin. "You really need to learn to trust me better, Little brother~ Now come along--if you aren't going to do your work, then you might as well come along for the tour~"
Lavi merely shook his head--the only answer he gave to Tyki's question. Just why he didn't tell the man about the last few questions Sheryl had asked, he really had no clue. But, for some reason...he didn't want to, as he found that he actually--didn't particularly mind them.
Loosening his grip on Tyki's arm, he let go, and stepped back a bit, walking evenly between the two older men, as they began the tour of the building. He would need to be closer to Sheryl, to pay attention to what he was saying and showing him, after all--at least, that's what Lavi told himself.
Tyki found he didn't quite like it. Didn't quite like the way that Lavi only shook his head, and how he stepped just a little closer to brother dearest, leaning his head in and watching his hands as he waved in certain directions. Like the building's history was really that fascinating. Well, it wasn't. Their foster father (or, well, 'Uncle' or was it 'Brother?' He could never remember what the man told them to call him) had built the place. Their cousin--Lulubelle--had helped design it. So of course they knew everything about it--every little thing and--why was Lavi's face turning redder and redder? And why was Sheryl smiling like that?
Tyki felt his steps slow as they made their way down one of the man stairwells that led to the huge 'Foyer'--which was really the 'entertainment' section of the company, with ivy and other miscellaneous plants hanging from steel bars--everything covered with glass, some places not. Lavi was naming a particular kind of plant. Sheryl looked fascinated. Wait. Wait. Waitwaitwait.
And they were laughing.
Suddenly Tyki felt so terribly out of the loop.
Lavi paused in his explanation, muttering a quick "Hold on a sec?" to Sheryl, before going back to where Tyki had stopped, a few feet behind them.
"Hey, what's wrong? Y'look kinda...I dunno, depressed...?" he asked, lifting a hand to place against Tyki's arm. He cast a quick glance at Sheryl--why couldn't he seem to keep his eyes off of him?--and noticed the man watching, interested, before turning back to look up at Tyki.
Tyki blinked, startled out of his daze when he felt Lavi's hand on his arm. "Ah? No, no--it just...seems like you're having a good time...and I already know most of this so--it's really quite boring."
"Ah, I suppose it would be, wouldn't it?" Sheryl hummed, coming up to them. "I'm terribly sorry for making you come along Tyki-pon, though." He glanced down at his watch. "Goodness--it's already been an hour--are you hungry? We could always go out now for dinner, if you'd like?" He flashed a smile at the both of them, and, well--yes Tyki didn't like it...but...he exhaled. What could he say?
"Do what you want."
He shrugged his shoulders, watching as Lavi glanced back and forth between the both of them. "Just as long as we don't go to...that place again, we'll be fine."
"Crystal clear."
They shared another glance--Lavi looking again, between them, confused--before he patted the boy's head. "Don't worry about it, Lovey. Now what do you say we go? Which car are we taking? And who's driving?"
"Not you." He could be slightly hurt that it wasn't just his brother saying that.
Just a little. Was his driving that bad?
Lavi couldn't help but laugh at that, catching Sheryl's eye, which only made him laugh harder. Then, he turned back to Tyki. "Sorry, but...I'd rather not lose my appetite before I can even eat something, Tyki. And I can't drive yet, so...it looks like Sheryl is."
He hadn't noticed the man's eyes narrow when he'd shared that laugh with his older brother, but even if he had, he wouldn't have thought much of it at this point. Laughing was laughing, wasn't it? There was nothing wrong with that. And of course, the silly little rabbit had no clue, that he had the capability to make anyone jealous.
Today certainly was turning out to be his day, wasn't it? Yes, it certainly was, Sheryl decided, as he led the two to his car. It was a stroke of good luck that the redhead hadn't seemed overly creeped out by him from the get-go, and it had been even better luck, when the boy apparently liked listening to him--and he wasn't even legal yet~!
He was definitely going to enjoy when--"Brother, if you can't keep yours eyes on the road, then maybe I am better off driving."
He jolted at Tyki's rude comment--glaring at him as he sat, bored, in the passenger's seat (because the dear redhead had crawled into the backseat before he could stop him).
"I, unfortunately will have to disagree with that statement. You are a horrible driver."
/"But at least I don't have sexual fantasies while driving."/ Ah, he noticed their native tongue on the boy's lips, as glanced in the rearview mirror. It didn't seem like Lavi was listening, and even if he had been...could he understand them? He was almost certain of it--after all, Bookmen were well versed in many languages.
"For your information, I'm not…having...these...thoughts, if you will." He snorted, indignantly--catching Lavi's attention. "Now hush up, and tell me where you want to eat."
Lavi was quiet for a few moments, and it was obvious from his expression, that he was deep in thought. "How about...Red Robin? I'm addicted to their Buzzard Clucks..."
/"And yes, you were,"/ the boy added absently, ignoring the surprise on both the other men's faces when he said it in Portuguese. Then, he snickered. /"I could tell from the look on your face."/
Tyki snickered at that. "Seems like he one-upped you, brother dearest." Sheryl scowled, but he ignored it and instead asked, "Red Robin? I don't believe I've...ever been there?"
"And I don't believe I have either. Where is it exactly?" Sheryl wondered, though--was he blushing? It was faint but...that was strange. Very strange. And Tyki didn't like it, but didn't comment on it, instead focusing on the redhead sitting in the back.
Lavi was astonished--as well as a bit ashamed--and it definitely showed on his face. "Man...you guys..." He shook his head, laughing.
"Uhm...there should be a few of them in the city, but the closest one is near the theatre, down on Mainstreet. I--Have you seriously never been there? Gawd...that's unreal. Red Robin is G.R.E.A.T. Not overly fancy, but they're nice, and the service is good. And the food...oh gawd, the food..." he trailed off, lost in a fantasy of Buzzard Clucks, and Popcorn Shrimp.
Tyki blinked at the redhead, as he went off on his own little daze. "Is the food really...that good?"
Lavi snapped back to attention, blushing slightly. "Uhm...yeah. Or else I probably wouldn't have zoned-out like that, thinking about it...heh... But--yeah, it's really good. Their salads are okay, but--fuck--the Buzzard Clucks are the best, though. Seriously--like an orgasm in my mouth~" he sighed dreamily
Sheryl nearly ran a red light. And another. And--oh, there was a police-car right there. Tyki felt his lips splitting into a grin, as his brother keeled over in silent laughter at the next red light.
That caught Lavi's attention though, and he looked shocked, and opened his mouth to ask an obvious question, but--really? Really?
"You have no idea what you just said, do you Lovey?"
"I--no...?" he worded his answer as another question, then blinked. "What did I say wrong?"
"An 'orgasm in my mouth'. Lovey, you do realize what that...could mean, right?"
Sheryl coughed, and straightened himself out at those words, though his lips threatened to split in a very similar smile to Tyki's own.
No, that wasn't disturbing. But he had to agree that it was--well--worth it to see the blush spread across the redhead's face.
"Ohhh...oh. Oh, fuck! Sorry!!" Lavi's face was now quite a decent shade of red...which he hid in his hands. "Uhm...yeah..."
"I don't think saying 'Fuck' will help your case any, Lovey." Tyki smirked, watching as the boy bowed his head from view. This really was too much fun. Except of course, he wasn't like his brother. Not one bit.
"Now, now, Tyki-pon," Sheryl 'tsk'ed at him, seeming to have composed himself for the duration of the red light. "No teasing our...guest. Even though it is cute. And adorable. And kinky."
Lavi's head jolted up at that, one eye widening, and face turning--impossibly brighter than his hair.
"Sheryl..."
"Tyki, shut the Hell up!!!! Or else I'll tell Sheryl that you still have that photo on your wall, of when you were kids!!" He didn't even realize, that he just had told Sheryl.
/"And you!"/ he addressed Sheryl, in Portuguese. /"If you have something to say to me, say it! Don't be scared because your little brother's here..!"/
Yes...Lavi was one of those people who went into all-out traitorous 'I'm gonna-rant-at-you-till-you're-just-as-embarrassed-as-I-am' mode, when he was too flustered to function normally.
And for some reason this was just too amusing. "Oh?" Sheryl glanced over at Tyki, who coughed uncomfortably. "You still miss me, brother dearest~?"
Tyki scowled, "Not particularly, and really...I probably don't want to hear what you have to say, but..."
But he knew it was too late. He knew it was.
Because Sheryl laughed again. "So you want me to openly say, 'Shut up~ And sleep with me, c'mon why don't you sleep with me~?'"
Tyki really wished he were driving now. Or that Sheryl wasn't, because then he would be able to hit him without worry of killing them all by going off the road.
/"Just great,"/ he muttered instead, shaking his head, and watching as Lavi's face turned impossibly brighter in the backseat. /"You shouldn't have asked..."/
"I...I--I..!!" Lavi gave up on speech, opting instead to let out a high-pitched whine, and let his head 'thunk' into the back of Sheryl's seat. He--honestly--didn't know how to respond to that. There was no sense denying anymore, that yes--he was highly attracted to Sheryl, despite his...quirks. But--but that...no. Just--no.
But Sheryl just kept singing. Just kept singing, until they literally were in the damn parking lot--and there, is when, Tyki could safely whack the man over the head, and turn to face Lavi, who was still hiding his face, and shaking.
"Goodness, are you okay?" Sheryl asked after a moment, nursing the wound on his head and looking very surprised, "I mean, I know you're a virgin--and that Tyki didn't get some, but...really?"
Tyki felt his face flush. "Wait...what?"
He would have asked more, but Lavi let out another soft whine, making the question die on his lips when the boy looked up and--and-
-And whacked Sheryl on the back of the head.
"You--you!!! I didn't tell you that, so that you could tell Tyki I told you!!!" he growled, ears burning. His eye was even watering a bit, from the pure mortification. Then, he quickly looked to Tyki. "He--he asked, and I said in the beginning that I'd be honest...but I didn't tell him what you did get, just what you didn't, and..."
He tried to rectify the situation, but--only succeeded in making it more awkward. At least, for himself.
Tyki scowled, and whacked Sheryl on top of the head as well. "What did I say about asking those kinds of questions?"
Then he sighed and turned back to Lavi. "It's fine, just--you shouldn't answer a question like that--even if you do want to be honest." He sent another scathing look towards Sheryl, who was currently whining and draping himself over the steering wheel.
"Now--are we going to go inside, or not?" he questioned. "And--you're paying, Sheryl."
"But I drove us over here!"
"Still means you're paying."
After exiting the car, Lavi led them into the restaurant. Immediately, a small blonde woman walked over to them, smiling brightly as she asked how many. Lavi gave her the answer, and she led them into a booth at the back.
The redhead could help but laugh when Tyki was momentarily sidetracked by the model train running along the track near the ceiling, before disappearing into the wall somewhere. Sheryl seemed to find it amusing as well, much to Tyki's dismay.
Once they reached the booth, Lavi slid into the corner of one of the benches, and--again, to Tyki's utter horrification--Sheryl took the seat next to him, before Tyki had a chance to. And once again, Lavi couldn't help but laugh at the disgruntled expression on the man's face, as he slid into the seat opposite them.
Sheryl let out a laugh at Tyki's crestfallen expression. "Whatever is the matter, brother dearest?" he wondered out loud, making sure to snake his hand under the table, to pet Lavi's knee. He so loved it when the boy stiffened. "Don't be so uptight, after all--I'm paying, you know~?"
Almost immediately, another waiter came up this time--and smiled at them, all bright and happy. "Hello, I am your server today. How may I help you?"
"Uhm..." Trying hard not to react to the firm hand now stroking his thigh, Lavi peered over at the drink-menu, then--getting what he thought was a brilliant idea--he put his finger over the 'Strawberry-Lime Margarita', sliding it over to Sheryl, and giving the man his most irresistible pouty-face.
Sheryl more than took the hint. "Ah, I think I'll have the Strawberry-Lime Margarita, to start off with...Tyki?"
Tyki sighed. "Hmm...just a Sprite. Something tells me I'll be the one driving home tonight..." They both turned to the redhead, asking nearly at the same time, "As for what to order...this is our first time here, so."
"Uhm..." Lavi tried to keep the triumphant smirk off his face, as he scanned the menu. "Well...what sort of things do you like, Sheryl?"
/"Sex with underage teenage boys, not included,"/ he added in Portuguese, laughing.
"As for you, Tyki, 'cuz I kinda know what you like...I'd recommend the Guacamole Bacon Burger."
Tyki sent scathing looks to the both of them before nodding his head, "I'll get that then, and brother?"
Sheryl let out a hesitant laugh. "Well I...do like...spicy things? If that accounts for anything...and you really have taken your tastes from me, haven't you brother-dear?"
Tyki scowled, and Lavi continued to look through the menu, and Sheryl? Well, yes--his hand was still stroking the boy's thigh. It was so damned amusing how the redhead was trying to ignore it.
"Then you should get-" he cut himself off with a small squeak, as Sheryl's hand traveled up a little too high. "*Ahem* You'd probably like the A-1 Peppercorn Burger, then."
He put the menu down, and looked back at the waitress, hoping against hope that she couldn't see his blush--though he knew it was futile. "As for me, I'm just gunna have a set of Buzzard Wings. Thanks~"
Once the waiter (who cast them each wary glances) jotted down their orders and turned heel, Tyki immediately stomped on his brother's foot, Lavi scooting as far away as possible without melting into the wall beside him.
"Sheryl, be appropriate."
"I'm paying, remember?" The older man clucked, hand traveling in the pitiful space between his and Lavi's bodies to stroke his thigh again.
Only to have his foot stepped on. Again.
"Ouch!"
"Brother."
"Whaaat~?"
"No."
Lavi coughed lightly, but couldn't help the smile from spreading across his face. Not only was it…highly amusing, watching the two brothers bicker--but the fact that it was over him--and that they were both really hot…
When the waitress brought their food and drinks back to the table, Lavi finally let out an excited 'Whoop~' when Sheryl pushed the Margarita over to him. He snickered, and stuck his tongue out at Tyki, before taking a sip.
Tyki looked mildly appalled by his brother's leniency...but it wasn't like he could truly say anything on the matter without sounding like a hypocrite. He just chose to enjoy his dinner--his burger--which was really quite good. Not that he didn't love McDonald's or Burger King (when he was truly desperate and depraved), but really? This was-
"Hooot~" And Sheryl stole his drink. Then took a sip out of Lavi's, and before he knew it--before he knew it he had tried some of the boy's drink as well, and--when had twenty minutes passed? An hour? When had Lavi gotten a free refill from sweet-talking the waitress? Didn't they know he was eighteen? Did it even matter?
No, he decided, it didn't--as he helped the boy out of his seat (he looked...startled for some reason, and he cast Sheryl a wary glance. He had only disappeared for two minutes to take a bathroom break--what could possibly happen in two minutes? Maybe he didn't want to know), and helped him out of the restaurant to the car.
And maybe he should have questioned his brother's motives, when he basically crawled into the back seat of the car, next to Lavi. But Lavi was half asleep and so was Sheryl, so that meant it was okay right? Right. Though he knew it wasn't, when Lavi gave him directions to Kanda's house--nearly begging--because he knew what that meant.
He did, yes he did, when he watched Lavi slam the car door and stumble a bit, mumbling something incomprehensible in Portuguese, that he couldn't even begin to catch--but he didn't take his eyes off the boy until he pulled his cell phone out, and dialed--he was sure--Kanda's number, and waved them off.
He'd just have to call the boy tomorrow, to see how he was doing.
****Backtrack - Two Hours Earlier****
He'd downed nearly half the Margarita when--suddenly, it was snatched out of his hand. Casting a half-hearted glare at Sheryl, Lavi snatched it back--only to have it snatched right away again, this time by Tyki. What did a boy have to do to get his alcohol these days, huh?
And wait--that hand was suddenly a lot higher up his thigh than it needed to be, and the boy couldn't help but let out a squeak of surprise. Then, before he knew it, his Buzzard Clucks were gone--as was his Margarita. Calling over the waitress, he flashed her a dazzling smile, as he passed her the depressingly empty glass--the young woman blushed brightly, took the offered item, and rushed off. She was back in moments, and-
Soon--sooner than he'd realized--Lavi was drunk. But he didn't realize. Or did he? Maybe it could just be said that he didn't care. Nor did he really care--surprisingly--when Sheryl leaned over, and kissed the side of his neck. Was he drunk too? But then, Lavi didn't really care about that either. Nor when the older man's hand moved from his thigh to his ass--giving it a little squeeze. He was sure he was blushing by now, if he hadn't been already.
But he didn't care.
Then when Tyki came back--wait, what? He hadn't even seen the man leave--and helped him out of the seat, Lavi's eyes widened, and he nearly fell over. Why couldn't he stand on his own? Oh yes, that's right, he was drunk. Right? Right.
And then, they were in the car--and again, Lavi didn't remember having walked out of the restaurant and through the parking lot, but could that really be helped at this point? No, it couldn't. But he still didn't care.
Sheryl was half lying on top of him, he noticed--but again, didn't care. And when the man's hands started touching, rubbing, caressing places they were definitely not supposed to be touching, rubbing, and caressing--he still couldn't bring himself to care. Much. He was so--so tired, and he just wanted to slee-
He was being woken up--he'd fallen asleep?--and they were at Kanda's house. He didn't remember giving directions, but then...he must have. But Tyki'd driven him here before, hadn't he? Oh well. He'd worry about it later. For now, he stumbled out of the car, and pulled out his phone. Sheryl was still asleep in the backseat, and Tyki--he looked worried, didn't he? Or was it Lavi's imagination?
He shook his head, waving them off, and dialed Kanda's number. When the older boy didn't pick up, he dialed again. Then again, and finally-
****Kanda****
It just wasn't his fucking day, was it? First with the idiot Rabbit and his idiot tendencies, then the Moyashi and Lenalee even--got into some shit that they refused to talk directly about--and refused to believe he had fucking guessed--for the love of, her mask was worse than the Usagi's--like he wouldn't notice!
And right when he had gotten home, he had gotten spam phone calls from...that guy...again--begging--pleading, because some crazy shit was going down that he still didn't want to be a part of (ever, ever again), and he hadn't even gotten most of his fucking homework done until one AM...
But of course, right when he managed blissful sleep--what wakes him up? His cell-phone. He let it ring once (who knows, maybe 'they' figured out his new cell-phone number? He didn't fucking know), then twice, and on the third try he forced himself up.
"What?" he bellowed into the phone, too tired to fucking care who it was--it was 3AM in the fucking morning, why should he care?
/Ne....Yuuuuuuu...could ya stop yellin' please?/ Lavi slurred over the phone. It was quite obvious the boy was drunk. Then, /Uhm...I didn' wake ya up, di'I?/
Kanda let out an aggravated sigh, rolling over and pushing himself up from the bed. "What do you think, baka? Why the fuck are you calling me at 3AM in the morning?"
He thought that over for a moment before realization hit him.
"Where are you?" He didn't want to sound worried, but he cursed himself when he let a little of that emotion through in his words. The redhead sounded drunk.
/Uhm...well, if ya don't wanna talk on the phone, then why don'ya come on down an' lemme in? Then we can talk in the house~!!/ He seemed overly happy about this, if the tone of his voice was of any indication.
"What the fuck do you mean, 'lemme in'? You can't--" He stopped that sentence. "You--don't mean...you're outside my fucking door?"
/Erm...well actually, I'm about...four feet back from your door, an' two feet to th'left of it~/ Lavi exclaimed proudly.
Kanda let out a sigh, walking (not stumbling) to his bedroom door, before making his way down the dark hallway to the living room, then the front door.
"Do you think I fucking care how far you are from the fucking door?" He unlatched the lock, and tugged the doorknob, probably a little harder than he should.
And there was the redhead, slumping just a little, and humming some strange tune...but--but his posture was all wrong. Sure, he slouched normally, but his expression as well--there was a dazed look in his eyes (not to mention they were dilated), and his grin was a little too wide and goofy...
Dear God (which he didn't believe in). "You're drunk."
Lavi's eye had widened slightly when the door was pulled open, and he straightened up just a little, and--there was Kanda, in all his--'Oh my Gawd', shirtless--glory, and Lavi couldn't help but blush a little.
"Oh...oh yeah, I guess I am..." he mumbled, taking a step forward. He looked back up at his friend, observing him as best as he could, with his one eye hazy from alcohol. The man's hair was let down, tangled in some places with knots that only Lavi'd ever gotten to see--the Japanese only had his hair down when he slept, after all, and Lavi was the only one he'd ever trust to be in the same room with him while he slept. That's what he'd said, anyways. "But tha's Tyki's fault...an' Sheryl's, too..."
"So...y'gunna lemme in, or what?" he asked, pretending not to notice the anger slowly taking over the other's expression. Or did he even notice?
Kanda scowled but sighed. "Che, come in. But don't think you're fucking getting off the hook."
He watched as the boy stumbled inside, and crashed on the nearest piece of furniture (the couch), hair splaying messily across pale skin--that goofy grin still placed on his lips as he draped one arm across his eyes.
Kanda sighed, and moved over to him, leaning against the couch. "What the fuck happened?" It was a quiet question--but one he wanted to know. Tyki--yes, he knew Tyki--Lavi had probably spent all day with this man, and--"Sheryl?" Who was Sheryl?
Not that he was worried, or anything. Just curious.
"Nnng...Sheryl is...Tyki's older brother. S'reeaaalllyy hotttt...but...really 'touchy-feely', though..." He trailed off, eye glazing over a bit, before he remembered the other boy's first question.
"Uhm...what we did today...? Well, I called Panda-jiji when I got sent outta class, an' he sent Tyki-pon ta come'n pick me up. So I went back ta his place, an' we..." He trailed off again, not wanting to say that part. At least...he wasn't sure he should? "Uhm, so yeah...then we went ta the office, an' Sheryl gave me a tour...then we went ta dinner at Red Robin--an'--an'--stuff.....then Tyki drove me here~!!"
If Lavi was easy to read before, he was like an open book now. "And you what? You obviously got drunk at some point--don't tell me they bought you alcohol." And he really didn't want to reprimand the boy--Hell, he had alcohol in his fridge (thanks to those guys popping up out of nowhere), so he couldn't get angry without sounding like a hypocrite--"You know you're a lightweight."
Not that saying that now would do any good, the boy would probably not remember this in the morning.
Right now he just wanted answers to his question. Then he'd move the boy to an actual bed. Because he was nice like that. Not that he cared. Or--well. Yeah.
"Yeh, Sheryl ordered me a Margarita... An' I--I--well, I had a lil' 'problem', an' Tyki....helped me...with it..." he trailed off, blushing fiercely, before continuing. "So I--well, I wanted ta help him too, 'cuz then he had a problem, so--I ..."
Then, he blinked, not really able to believe that he'd just admitted that. Out loud. To Kanda, of all people.
Kanda blinked. And blinked again. "You...what...?" It took a moment for the information to sink in.
And his first thought?
"Thank god you didn't call Lenalee." She would have freaked. Out.
Lavi looked surprised though.
"What?"
Lavi groaned, and rolled over--right off the edge of the couch, hitting the ground with a loud 'thunk'.
"I...I was s'posed'ta call Lena-chaaaaan...last night. An' I forgot--b'cuz--b'cuz I was too drunk, an' Sheryl wouldn't stop touchin' meee...but it felt good, so I didn' caaare..." He was going way off-topic, and he seemed to realize it. "An'--an' now Lena's nev'r gunna forgive me, b'cuz she said she won' if I didn' call her..."
"Touching...you...?"
But the redhead didn't seem to hear him--instead, he continued to grovel on the ground about how Lenalee 'wouldn't forgive him', and how he was 'in trouble', and how he 'didn't care'. And it was all quite ridiculous, so he moved around the couch and kicked the redhead (lightly) for good measure.
"Like you can call her now," he grumbled, when he'd gotten the man's attention. "It's three in the morning--any sane person would be asleep. Now come on, we're going to bed."
Now that sounded wrong...really wrong--and he knew his face must've flared up at it--but it wasn't what he meant. It was completely innocent...completely. So...so...
He dragged the boy up by his collar; hoping it'd work, but the redhead had no sense of balance whatsoever, and they wound up stumbling backwards in a mess of limbs, back--back on the ground.
...And something was poking him. Poking him--down there--down there, and his brain nearly shut off.
"Fucking Baka!" And he shoved. "What the fuck?" But the redhead didn't move. Was probably too tired to--and he couldn't blame him for that--but-
"Nnng..?? Wha'd I do?" Lavi whined, trying to cover his ears to Kanda's unnecessary (in his opinion) yell...but it was a little too late, for the man was already quiet again.
He...really didn't see what the problem was. It wasn't his fault they fell, after all. And so, he tried to stand up, only for Kanda's leg...to rub...against right there.
Suddenly, realization dawned on Lavi, and his eye flew wide open. "Oh...ohh. Ehe~ Sorry...Yuu-chan... I really didn't even...notice...that..."
Kanda turned his head to the side, and 'che'd. "How the fuck can you not notice--don't tell me this...Sheryl guy...did that...?" But he didn't have the heart to get up. Even if he did, his face would be too close to the redheads, and it was a miracle the man hadn't started teasing him yet.
True they had...messed around...just a little. One time, when Lavi found the alcohol those guys left...but--but that was just once, and they didn't do anything more than dare each other kisses and--damnit, he was blushing again!
But, surprisingly--rather than tease the Japanese boy, Lavi himself developed his own blush--and a rather deep one, at that.
"Well--well yeah, it was prolly him... He was kinda...on top of me, in the car... But--but--damnit. So he's in his mid-thirties? He's fuckin' hoottttt, an' good with his hands, too... An'--an'--yeah..." He trailed off, his blush even brighter now, as he though back to what happened...at the restaurant...when Tyki was in the bathroom. He didn't even seem to realize that he was making Kanda jealous. Which--if he'd been sober right then--he definitely would have.
"Really now?"
Kanda cursed himself when he couldn't keep all the bitterness from his voice. Lavi. Was. Drunk. He didn't know what he was saying--he didn't, and that man--Sheryl--had taken advantage of his lack of drinking capability and--but-
He saw the blush--bright, and red, and...he--what could he say?
What could he say that wouldn't make the twinge in his heart just get worse? As the redhead on top of him squirmed a little, and blushed, and remained painfully quiet.
Damnit, damnit, damnnittttt.
"Yeah...really. An'--an'--I'm real worried, b'cuz...I think I might like him--a bit--even though he's a total pervert...an'--an' Tyki noticed, an' he's....mad 'bout that. B'cuz he really likes me--an'--an'--I like Tyki. But now I like Sheryl, too. An' I really like Yuu, tooooo..." He moaned softly, but it was a sound of distress, not pleasure, and it was obvious.
"An'--an' I'unno whadda do now. B'cuz--I--ugh. An' now...I got 'nuther 'problem'..."
Kanda flushed slightly at the admission, but--but--"Che...and you expect me to help you solve this fucking problem?"
Except he knew he'd try. Because why the fuck else would Lavi come here? Besides the fact that Bookman would kill him if he saw him in his current state. which wasn't a pleasant thought, so Kanda pushed that to the depths of his mind, and instead tried to force him up. But the redheaded idiot was blushing again, and--well--wait, why?
Why-why-why--and then he was being tackled to the ground again.
"What the f--"
And being cut off. Because the baka Usagi was nice like that.
"Yuuu..." Lavi shook his head, his brow furrowed in a...well, it was supposed to be a serious manner. Apparently, he was better at picking up double-meanings when he was drunk, than when he was sober. Or maybe it was just because, this time--he wasn't the one saying it. "D'ya even know what y'said? Or...what I was talkin' 'bout? 'Problem', y'know? As in..." He trailed off, figuring the other boy was smart enough to understand.
Kanda's eyes widened for a moment, as the redhead on top of him explained what...he said...wait...
"That's--not--" But--but why wasn't he so opposed to the idea? He always told the redhead that he wouldn't do...that...no matter how drunk and wanting the redhead turned out to be. He wouldn't. No.
But with the redhead on top of him now, obviously hard from being...molested (no matter how willingly)...and it being 3AM...and him not thinking straight, well...
"Che, and?" He couldn't keep the blush off his face though, and he was certain the idiot rabbit noticed now.
"Ahh...well, I jus' figured...y'know, that ya didn' really know what I was talkin' 'bout...seein' as how ya didn' freak out, an' all..." Lavi blushed again, averting his eye. He suddenly felt really, really embarrassed. Was it because he'd just--essentially--confessed to Kanda that he liked him? Sort of? Maybe? Even he didn't know anymore, at this point.
"So, uhm...I'll jus'...go...borrow yer bathroom now..?" he asked hesitantly. Even as drunk as he was, he could tell Kanda was irritated. And considering the circumstances, he could only assume he was irritated at him.
Kanda che'd, and was really quite willing to let the redhead go and take care of his 'business'. Except, well. Apparently his body didn't like that idea.
Before he could quite control it, his hands had shot out to grab the redhead's hips--to keep him in place, and he could feel the...thing...poking him...as he sat up--he could hear the soft hiss as Lavi unintentionally shifted to get comfortable.
No he didn't like those sounds, what are you talking about?
Lavi squirmed in Kanda's lap, trying to get better-situated--and, well...he felt a bit awkward, having the older boy just...hold him there. It was different when Tyki did it--it was in his nature. But Kanda was never a touchy person--that is, unless he was 'touching' you with the tip of Mugen's blade.
"Ne...Yuu...it's mean ta hold me here like this... I gotta...take care of 'this', b'fore it gets...bad..." He coughed, averting his eye again.
Kanda cocked his head to the side, and vaguely wondered for his sanity when the next words slipped out of his mouth. "'Bad'?"
As if he seriously didn't get it. As if he--Hell--what was he thinking? He didn't know anymore, he decided.
And he didn't want to push Lavi over, but he did anyway. "Che, you mean this?" And--why did he grab it, again? Well...he liked Lavi's reaction, anyway, when he gripped him through his pants--it was amusing, in its own special way.
And the whine the boy gave a second later did nothing to him. No. That shiver down his spine? It never happened.
"N-ne...Yuu...? W-whaddaya doin'...?" he asked, his words broken up too much for his liking. He blinked up at the older boy, finally realizing that he was now on his back, with Kanda--Kanda was--pinning him down? Well now, that just made the redhead blush even harder. And harder still, when the Japanese squeezed at his crotch again, forcing him to let out a strangled moan. "Y-Yuu...!!"
"Hnn," the man huffed as Lavi cried out his name (which again, didn't do anything. At. All), and moved his hand away, amused when the boy bucked up. "That's what you're trying to 'take care of'? Che."
Because, well--he shouldn't be enjoying this, as he tried to force him up--tried to say 'Go take care of it', because it was bad, and he probably just made it worse but-
A hand gripped his wrist and prevented that, green eye dark, glazed with alcohol and something else.
Well. Shit.
"Yuu..." he groaned, blinking a few times. Then, suddenly--and without a second thought--he leaned up as far as he could, pulling Kanda down closer towards him as he did so, and-
He couldn't believe he'd ever forgotten how nice it felt, kissing the Japanese boy. It wasn't hard and passionate, like with Tyki--but soft, almost...clumsy. But it was slow, and it was a nice change. He could only hope that the other wouldn't pull away, once he'd realized what happened...
And...he was being kissed. Wait. What?
It took Kanda a moment to register the slightly chapped lips of the other male, but when he did--it reminded him of the drinking games. And the dare-kisses that the redhead always wanted, and that Yuu would have given without question if--if--but this wasn't a dare, even if the boy still tasted like alcohol, even if he normally would have pulled away by now because it was not like him and--and-
He was so very glad he needed to breathe eventually, because when he did, he could pull away, and stare, and ask "Wha--"
But he was being pulled back again, lips slamming a little more forcefully into his own--and he found himself really not caring, as he shifted a bit, forcing the boy's legs apart with his knee due to the angle, and--that was unintentional. It was. Right. Didn't mean he couldn't like the moan the redhead gave, as his knee pressed against that bulge and--
And when the boy broke the kiss to cry out his name, back arching-
Goddamn.
"Yuu..." Lavi all but panted, squeezing his eyes shut. It felt...good--the friction, the other boy's touch...it all felt so good, and the redhead couldn't help but let out another soft moan. He pulled Kanda's face back towards his own for another kiss, but only managed a slight, barely-there press of lips, that was over almost just as soon as it had begun.
"I...damn. Are ya gunna get me off, or ya gunna get off me, so I can do it myself?" he asked quickly, though his voice was barely above a whisper. His little 'problem' was actually starting to hurt...and if he didn't do something soon...
Kanda's eyes widened at Lavi's question, and immediately that statement--that promise--'I won't go that far'--seemed too weak. Far too weak, especially now, with the redhead under him, looking so--so--He felt a shiver go down his spine--Goddamnit--he hated going against his word, especially to himself but.
But this was Lavi.
He let out a shaky sigh and stood, watching as a look of disappointment crossed the redhead's face, before he extended his hand. "Che, come on. We're not doing this on the floor."
"Ehh..." Lavi raised his hand--why the Hell was he shaking?--and grasped onto Kanda's, though his grip was rather weak. He allowed the older boy to pull him up, unsteadily, to his feet, and he all but fell into Kanda--thankful when the other caught him, and practically half-carried him down the hall, to his bedroom.
The moment he was let go, Lavi fell onto Kanda's bed--no longer having the strength to keep himself upright--and, ironically enough, landed on his back.
"Yuu...?" His voice was, well...small. And unsure. Almost like a child's.
He could tell the boy was unsure about the whole thing, and really, Kanda couldn't blame him. Beds usually meant getting tangled in them, and waking up sweaty the next morning. But this? This...well...he smiled--trying to keep it as soft as he needed, as reassuring, though he hadn't given one of those in a while (the last one was to Lenalee, and he couldn't even remember what that had been for. But that it had been his fault. For some reason).
"Che, don't worry, I won't do...that...just...shut up," with that he crawled onto the bed again, hands immediately going to the idiots belt, to undo the belt buckle that held his pants on his hips.
But of course, Lavi wouldn't listen--and sure enough, a moment later, two shaky hands were placed over his own, and when he looked up--he heard the sharp intake of breath, and the way the boy's mouth opened and closed a few times before words could form.
"Yuu..?" he finally spoke up, looking for all the world, well...afraid. "Yuu doesn't...hate me--do you?"
In Lavi's drunken mind, this was a perfectly legitimate worry. After all, the other boy sure acted like he hated him, most of the time. And at the moment, the redhead wasn't nearly sober enough to remember--that's just the way Kanda was.
Kanda opened his mouth to respond--to say 'Would I do this if I hated you?', but he knew the answer to that question. He knew but...he didn't. So he sighed, and let the words fall out, sitting up a little straighter as he did so. "Che, would I do this if I hated you?"
The boy opened his mouth to respond, but he cut him off. "Just shut up, and enjoy this." He looked down again, focusing at the task at hand--shoving Lavi's hands away, and finally getting the buckle to come undone. Then he started working down the zipper.
Lavi blushed, and snapped his mouth closed obediently, nodding his head. Okay. If Kanda wanted him to be quiet--then he would be quiet. As long as--as long as Yuu didn't hate him, he'd be fine.
But then, when the older boy's hands started tugging down his zipper, he couldn't help but let out a soft squeak, and moving his hands back. He was--why was he so embarrassed? He'd done this with Tyki already, hadn't he? Yes--yes he had. And he'd been fine. Slowly, the redhead pulled his hands back again, to rest at his sides. It was only the alcohol making him this way--there was no other option.
Kanda blinked, and watched as the usagi dropped his hands back to his sides, shifting a little, and looking for all the world like this--like this--meant something? Wait...what...?
He sat up a little more, and gently (far too gently than he would ever admit), gripped one of the boy's hands, sending him a questioning look he hoped he would get.
It was 3AM in the morning. That was his excuse.
It was 3 AM in the morning, and this redhead was currently on his bed, blushing, and--he didn't want...to do...anything he didn't--want?
Well of course he didn't, but-
"Will you let me?"
Lavi remained silently for a few moments, before nodding, slowly. Then, he looked up to meet Kanda's eyes. "...Yeah...okay. I trust Yuu."
He couldn't help but tense--just a bit--however, when he felt his pants and boxers slowly being slid down off his hips. Nor could he stop the quick intake of air, when said articles of clothing made a soft 'thud' sound, as they were dropped to the floor.
Damnit--what was with him tonight? This was Kanda, damnit. Kanda. Who would never hurt him. Lavi took in a deep breath of air, then let it out slowly, forcing himself to relax--to 'enjoy this', as Yuu had instructed.
He saw Lavi tense up and scowled, but ignored it, instead taking his length into his hand, and slowly starting to pump. Keeping up a steady rhythm, and listening for the steady increase of breath--rise and fall of his chest--of the small shivers Lavi would sometimes do when he blew on the back of his neck.
He smirked when he got a whimper, but it still seemed restrained. "Che, ba-ka--relax." He hated it, but he almost sounded playful. Kanda Yuu did not sound playful.
He just hoped the redhead wasn't paying attention.
Lavi felt his blush deepen at the--well, with Kanda, he supposed it was a command, but he did as he was told, nonetheless. The next time he felt Kanda's fingers trail along his erection, he didn't try to hold back his moan. Nor the next. Or even the one after that.
"Gah--Yuu...kiss me...?" he asked, almost--pleadingly. He...really wanted the other boy to kiss him again. Or...not 'again', seeing as Lavi had been the one to initiate the other kisses--so, he supposed it would make more sense if he 'just wanted Kanda to kiss him'.
Kanda raised his eyebrow at the request, smirking slightly. "Really?" He increased his pace on the boy's erection, watching him squirm for a moment before letting out a sharp whine.
With that he leaned forward a bit, so that he was looking down at the redhead, keeping the smirk still in place. "You want me to, hn?" He lowered his head as he said those words, making sure to brush his lips against the other's, but not initiate the kiss.
No, he wasn't a tease. Not at all. It was just fun...to see the desperate look in the other's eye as he denied him something he wanted.
Lavi growled softly, and lifted a hand to wrap around the back of Kanda's neck--pulling the man closer, and holding him there--as he pressed their lips together tightly, a desperate moan slipping past his own, but soon lost between their conjoined mouths. He bucked himself into Kanda's hand, whining softly.
He was close--closer than he knew he should have been this soon. But--once again, he decided to blame the alcohol.
Kanda felt the heat in the kiss, and had to wonder exactly how much the redhead had had before, but decided not to worry too much about it--he'd find out in the morning (everything was found out in the morning) and--well--he did enjoy the kiss.
He...could...let himself enjoy it, couldn't he? As he felt said redhead buck against him, and whine into his mouth--he took the opportunity and slipped his tongue inside, to play with Lavi's own.
He felt the boy stiffen under him at that, before pressing him closer, and--he could barely keep up with how fast his tongue was moving--but he would not lose. He wouldn't. He was Kanda Yuu-
Who was currently pressing his 'best friend' into the mattress. Right. Who cared if things didn't add up?
Lavi let out another moan--much louder this time--and was forced to break their kiss, so he could breathe. Only a few moments later--he couldn't take it anymore, and he was sure it was the alcohol's fault--he shouted Yuu's name loudly, unable to hold himself back for another second, and he came hard. All over his friend's hand.
The redhead fell back against the bed, body going limp--and opened his eye, smiling at the Japanese, albeit...rather shyly. "I--thanks, Yuu."
Kanda blinked, and looked down at his hand, then at the boy laying, content and peaceful on his bed. Great. His hand was dirty now. And he really didn't want to wash his sheets tomorrow...
So he lifted his dirtied hand to his lips, and began to lick it clean.
Lavi immediately blushed at the sight of the other boy...licking...that--but really, it wasn't any worse than what he himself had done for Tyki, so why was he so embarrassed..?--and he turned his face away. It was...embarrassing, no matter how he looked at it. Maybe because it was his--and yeah... But there was still the alcohol to take into account.
Kanda finished cleaning the release off his hand and turned to the red head, who...currently wasn't looking at him, face flushed as red as his hair. Or redder.
"What?" he asked, trying to make his voice sound like normal, and almost succeeding--crawling up to sit next to the boy, before glancing down at the redhead's still obviously nude lower half.
"Shouldn't you--" He started, but a squeak cut him off, and he turned to look up at the boy's face. What...?
Lavi's blush deepened even more, and when he opened his mouth to answer--another squeak came out. Flustered, he furrowed his eyebrows, trying to concentrate on practical speech, and tried again. This time, thankfully, his endeavor proved to be successful.
"I--are you sure...that was okay?" he asked hesitantly, finally returning the older boy's gaze. "We're not gunna be...'weird' after that--are we?"
Kanda blinked at him for a moment, before sighing, and reaching over the side of the bed to grab the boy's pants. "What are you saying, baka? We'll only be 'weird', if you think it's weird."
"I...no." Lavi shook his head, grabbing the pants to keep his hands busy, sliding them back up his legs, hips, and buckling the belt before speaking up again. "I don't think it's weird. I mean...with Tyki, and we're still-" He stopped. That wasn't the point.
"No...no, I won't think it's weird. I just...thought Yuu might...b'cuz Yuu don' like being too close ta people, so...but. If Yuu says it's okay, then..." He sighed, closing his eyes, and curling up against Kanda's side. He just wanted to sleep...
"I...don't like...being close to people?" Kanda let out a low chuckle, watching as the boy shifted, curling into a ball--a perfect fit against his side. In a matter of seconds, Lavi's chest rose and fell with the lull of sleep, leaving Kanda there, staring up at the ceiling...
"Don't like being too close?"
Well. Yes. That was true. But--didn't the redhead know?--he glanced down at said redhead, and reached out, touching the boy's hair.
"You don't count," he murmured to the silence.
xoxox
Author's Note: And there you have it. A...very, very long chapter to make up (again) for the slight lateness. Hopefully the next chapter will be on time--so I hope you'll be looking forward to it!
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