Author's Note: Erm--first of all, I need to apologize. This is almost three weeks late. And I'm really, really sorry about that. A lot of crazy shit has been going on this last--well, quite a while--not all bad, mind you--but still. And neither Harmony nor myself have had much time to work on editing this, or even think about it.. But--eh. It's done now, and that's really all I can say, at this point. In any case, we hope this new installment was worth the wait..? D:
Disclaimer: I'm not sure about Harmony, but the only thing I really care to own right now, is the bowl of Apple-Jacks (first one I've had in six years) sitting neglected beside me. And surprisingly, no, that doesn't include DGM.
Warnings for this chapter: Erm--slight gore, for one. Sheryl being un-creepy (the shock-factor deserves a warning, I should think? o.o ), more mentions of drug-usage, implied rape...and a whip cream fight.
Chapter Six
"Fool"
The alley was dark.
Really, really dark. But not because the sky was dark--it was slightly, but-
It was dark, because Lavi couldn't open his eye. He wouldn't open it. Because if he opened his eye, then he would see. See the blood on the ground, or on the brick wall he was slouching on. On his hands. On his shoulder, where the switch-blade knife was still buried. Or Hell, even the blood that would trickle into his eye, the second he opened it, trailing down from the gash on his forehead.
Yeah. Getting your head knocked into a wall was not fun.
The sound of approaching footsteps vaguely registered to the boy's ears, and he flinched, letting out a pained whimper when the motion upset some of his wounds.
But he still wouldn't open his eye.
--
Sheryl never quite understood the Earl's way of thinking. Really. What going down to the practical slums of town had to do with--well--anything, he had no idea. But he had checked on what the man had wanted him to check on, and he hoped that had been good enough, because quite honestly he did not want to stay here any longer. It was creepy, dark, dank, dirty (in more ways than one), and for all he knew he would find a dead body tucked away into one of the alleyways.
He shuddered, and kept his eyes forward. 'Keep them forward. Nothing to see here. Nothing at all--nothing-'
Nothing, except a flash of red hair.
'Wait, what?' He stopped, and turned his head. Sure enough, he could see--vaguely--the outline of a very human looking object, leaning against one of the alleyways walls--one he had just passed.
'Don't tell me...' He did a backtrack, quick steps, backward, not even turning around--and--and-
"Dear god." Not that he believed in a God, but--"La...vi?" There he was, leaning against the wall--bleeding. Was the blood on the wall all his? And--was that a knife?
He shook the sick feeling in his stomach away--the feeling that he wanted to gag at the sight--and quickly moved forward, leaning down to touch the boy--to see if he was responsive. Thankfully he was, groaning, and shifting, and--he saw the phone in the boy's hand. On a number that he didn't quite recognize, but maybe the name looked familiar. Maybe it had been a friend? He wasn't certain.
All he knew was he needed to get the boy out, and now.
Suddenly he was very, very glad he had come to the practical slums of the area--when he hoisted the boy up, one hand on his back, the other hooked under his knees--because if not, then-
Well, he just wouldn't think about that.
Lavi cried out softly in protest when he felt himself being lifted up, but he was in too much pain to even try to struggle. He knew this place--knew what it was like--what kind of people usually lurked in the shadows here--and he didn't like it. At all.
Where was Yuu? Why--why hadn't he answered his phone? Didn't he think, maybe, that Lavi would need him?
His head was bleeding again, and some of the blood trickled into his mouth, causing him to cough and sputter, though it just made his body ache more.
His 'captor' must have noticed too, because not long after, whoever it was uttered a soft curse.
But wait--Lavi was sure he knew that voice...
Sheryl swore under his breath as the boy started to cough, and quickened his pace. He was quite certain he hadn't parked too far from here--and sure enough, he exhaled in relief as he saw his car, right where he had left it by the parking meter. He ignored the looks he received from passerby--they had probably seen worse, for all he knew. And besides, what did he care? He had to get the boy to safety.
Slowly, he moved around to the back seat--opening it, before quickly laying the boy down flat, lest he agitate any of the bleeding wounds. He almost cursed himself for not having any medical equipment on him--not even a simple band-aid (not that that would have done any good).
The redhead let out a few sharp cries, as he attempted to lay him down, and he almost gave up half way through, but thankfully he didn't, and managed to get the boy inside the car, and get himself over to the driver's side.
Being careful--more-so than usual--he merged his way into traffic, and headed towards home--hoping against hoping the boy's condition didn't worsen before he got there.
Lavi thanked God--if there even was one--that he wasn't being moved anymore. But now they were driving somewhere, and he cried out as the car went over a bump, causing him to bounce slightly on the seat. The man in the front--Lavi assumed he was the one driving?--uttered a quick apology, and suddenly Lavi knew who that voice belonged to.
"S-Sheryl..?" he rasped out, his own voice slightly rough from screaming, and then crying when he couldn't scream anymore.
Sheryl's eyes widened--how was the boy still conscious?--no; he wouldn't worry about that now. "Yes...it's me. Hush--we'll be home in a moment."
But of course the boy wasn't prone to listen, apparently, as he watched him try and struggle to get up--"Don't--" he admonished as they hit a red light. "You'll only make your wounds worse. Please."
As if realizing this, the boy fell back to the seat cushions with a small whine that, though small, held pain--so much pain-
'Who could do such a thing?' He shook the thought away. 'No, I'll find that out later. Now—'He glanced at the boy in the back, before his foot found the gas pedal. 'First, we need to get home.'
Lavi didn't want to listen, but...he knew this time, Sheryl was right. Should he be surprised the man wasn't trying to take advantage of his weakened state? No...no, Sheryl wasn't like that. He wasn't that bad. Even Lavi could tell the man had morals--just--not many. Or else he ignored them.
The redhead sighed, and began humming a tune quietly, as best as he could in his current state--though it was broken up every now and then, by his breath suddenly hitching in his throat, for one reason or another. He was still humming when he felt the car pull to a stop.
Damn Yuu-chan, for getting that song stuck in his head. Even if it was one of his favorites.
Sheryl never thought he'd be so glad to see the big (for one person), lonely house he currently lived in. He usually dreaded going home--even if it meant hanging out at a bar, or at his dear brother's apartment.
But no, now he had a reason to be here, as he got out of the car and opened the passenger side door, and helped the boy (who was--what was he humming? It sounded vaguely familiar) out of the car.
Carrying him up the concrete steps to the door, he fumbled with the keys for a moment, managing to get them in the lock, and turned before kicking it roughly open.
He made sure not to stumble, as he made his way through the foyer, to the grand living room with the nice plush couch he was sure the boy would love taking a rest on for a moment. He didn't even care about the blood--it could be cleaned easily enough--as he set the boy down gently.
After he cleaned the basic wounds, he could move him to the closest first floor guest bedroom. Or--or maybe his room. Maybe. But that required stairs, and he wasn't quite sure if the boy wanted to attempt that yet.
Regardless, he turned on his heels and made his way into the spacious kitchen, to the rows and rows of cabinets that held various medical ointments and Tupperware. Casting a glance at the table, he sighed. Spotless, of course--with the maid he hired he expected as much, but he'd make sure she left the paper out next time, as he reached up into one of the cabinets and pulled down one of the many boxes.
Rushing back into the living room after he checked to see that said basket held the basic contents he needed, he sat down next to the redhead, shifting so that the boy was sitting up, and cringing as he let out a yelp of pain-'How is he still conscious?' he wondered as he murmured, "This may hurt, but we need to get that," that being the switchblade, "out."
For the record, no, he wasn't ready for the cry of pain.
When Sheryl reached for the knife, Lavi had flinched--he couldn't help it. But when the man had taken hold of it, and pulled it out...Lavi had screamed.
The blood came pouring out, faster than it should from any non-threatening wound. Any healing that had occurred was immediately undone, when the blade had been removed, and suddenly--suddenly Lavi's head was swimming, and he swayed.
"Ahh...f-fuck..."
Sheryl grimaced. "I was afraid that would happen." He remembered the wounds Tyki used to get--an unpleasant, though not recent, memory--and quickly grabbed the thick towel he had conveniently rolled up, along with the other medical equipment, and attempted to press it to the wound.
But no, that wouldn't do.
"Terribly sorry, but-" Modesty wasn't so important now as he took the shirt and jerked it over the boy's head, tossing it over the side of the couch, before immediately pressing the towel back again. "Hold that here," he murmured, before quickly standing up, and rushing to get some water. It wouldn't be much, he decided, but it would be better to try and attempt to clean out the bigger wounds first--then attend the smaller ones.
Making his way back to the couch, he cursed when he saw the look in the boy's lone green eye--dilated and--he would certainly pass out soon, if not from blood loss, then from the pain.
So he quickly set to cleaning the head wound--as much as he could, with the boy squirming away unconsciously at each wipe with the washcloth (okay, really it was a dishtowel, but did it really matter? He was desperate!), though thankfully, it didn't take much to wipe the blood away (apparently the gash had been one of the first the boy received, and though it apparently had bled a lot, it had slowed down considerably), and soon he had that wound nice and patched up, with a thick bandage.
The knife wound, however--he cringed--that--that-
"Lovey, can you...move your hand for a moment?" he wondered, watching as the boy shivered, breath coming in quick pants. That was worrisome--much more than--no, he wouldn't panic, as he moved the teen's hand himself, and began to slowly clean that wound as well.
He was almost glad that the boy was too far gone to shout, but it was still worrisome. Thankfully, though, he had just enough left to make a passable bandage. He would still have to call a doctor, though--he made a mental note, as he moved to pick the boy up again.
The hand gripping his wrist, however, stopped him, and he was met with a surprisingly bright green eye--'He's still conscious?'--and a very simplistic question.
"Why?" he asked softly, and though his voice didn't crack this time, it did with his next words. "Why are y-you...doing this for me...?"
He really didn't understand it. It wasn't like Sheryl cared about him--they had only met the previous day, after all--and though Sheryl had...'flirted' with him...quite a lot--the man was like that with everyone, wasn't he? Or--maybe the man had decided to help him for Tyki's sake.
His vision was starting to swim again, and his head was pounding. Maybe that was why he couldn't figure it out? And so, he asked his question again.
'Why?' Sheryl watched as the boy's eye went in and out of focus. "Why?" he repeated. "Why...wouldn't...I?"
It was surprising how simple the answer was, and he half wondered if that's what the boy had expected. "Though now--you need to sleep. Don't worry, I'll watch you."
Maybe that wasn't a small comfort (with what Tyki had said and all. Dear, loveably little brother that he was), but quite honestly, it wouldn't have surprised him if the boy had a concussion, and those were never good.
So he tried once more to pick the boy up, and though he was just a dead of weight as he was before, he managed with the similar pattern, and managed to get down the hall and to the guest bedroom with a fair amount of ease.
Once there, he lowered Lavi onto the bed, maneuvering the covers, and working them out from under the redhead until he could tuck him in, nice and neat.
"Now sleep." And for a reason he didn't quite comprehend, he leaned forward and pressed a light kiss to the boy's forehead.
--
When Lavi woke up, it was dark. And this time, it wasn't because his eye was closed--because it wasn't. He just couldn't see. Not even a shadow.
Concerned, he felt around in his jeans pocket--movements careful, so as to not upset his wounds again--and dug out his cell-phone. He flipped it open.
And still, he couldn't see.
'Well, fuck...' he thought, grimacing. 'Must be a concussion, after all.'
Going on memory alone, he clumsily punched in the buttons for Kanda's cell, pressed the 'talk' button, and held the device up to his ear--waiting, and hoping the Japanese boy would answer this time.
****Kanda****
Kanda knew he should have been pissed off. He really should have been--quite honestly, there was no fucking way he'd not be, under any normal circumstances. Except, well, these weren't normal. Of course he wouldn't be--not now, anyway.
And maybe he should have never picked up the fucking phone when he got in. He knew it'd be them again--or someone else--asking him, begging him to--to do something, hide something, arrange something--and he really should have said no.
So why the fuck he didn't, he had no fucking clue. But he was irritated, and he knew the idiot redhead had it coming to him tenfold--and he hated to say it, but he wasn't just worried anymore. He was scared. Kanda Yuu was fucking scared--something he hadn't been since he was fourteen years old.
Fourteen years old--and that fear was caused by this.
He should have never taken it, he decided, but the brats had insisted--"He'll maim us for sure!"--"You understand, right?"--"You love us, right?"--He wanted to say 'fuck off' ten times over. But he hadn't, so he'd taken the fucking package, and drove the fuck off-
Because that's what they wanted, and he didn't want them to get hurt. Never get hurt. He didn't want anyone getting hurt again, except his fucking self. Right. Of course. 'Fucking genius that I am.'
Because everything always screwed up.
Because he had been there. And somehow it happened again--the same thread had been fucking tugged-
And now he couldn't fucking remember the past four hours, and the ones after that were blurry at best (his last completely coherent, and less agitated memory was of him slamming the front door in those brats' faces. Did he take another drink after that?).
And now he was there, sprawled out, feeling like absolute fucking shit. And he couldn't remember why. Or how (though there was a needle, and that dreaded package, opened and half empty).
He didn't even want to guess how much he had taken. All he knew was it was enough to make him--well--not really care. Not really worry, when he knew he fucking should, because--what about Lavi?
Lavi, Lavi, Lavi.
He needed to find his cell-phone. Where was it? Where? Where the fuck did he--ah. He heard ringing. Somewhere to the left--not far (he hoped)--across the...well...he was on a nice comfy bed, and to the right was a wall, so the left--on the floor? Or? He ignored the slight twinge he felt in his lower half, and scooted off said bed, fumbling until he saw it--through the dark--screen flashing.
He managed to grab it, just barely.
Ah, it was Lavi's number.
He flipped it open and answered--probably sounding like shit, but he didn't much care at that point (and was that music in the background? Fuck, someone needed to turn that off)-
"Where are you?"
Why did he feel like such a hypocrite?
--
"Y-Yuu...? Yuu...you sound like shit," he forced out, knowing his own voice wasn't any better. But-
He had answered. Lavi was relieved. Then, he realized he hadn't answered the question. "Oh. Uhm--I'm...at Sheryl's house, actually..."
--
Kanda sighed. "Like you're fucking one to talk."
Suddenly, the door banged open, and the music--'Goddamn.'--"Shut the fucking door!" He growled at said person (making sure to pull the phone away from his ear, but knowing that probably did little good), who stumbled for a moment in a drunken haze, before jolting upward, and mumbling-
"S-Sorry...jus'...Suma'...want'ed...ta'check on ya--"
"Well as you can see, I'm fucking fine. Tell the prick to go mind his damned business. And shut the fucking door."
He smirked inwardly when the man did as he was told, before jerking the phone back to his ear. "You're at that guys place--how the fuck did that happen?"
--
Lavi gulped, and took a deep breath, before answering.
"I--Bookman." He heard the sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line, and continued. "He--an alley in the slums...Sheryl found me. Took me to 'is place. Cleaned my wounds, bandaged me up, an' put me ta bed. I was already only half-conscious, so it's...fuzzy..."
"What time is it?" he asked suddenly. "I'd check myself, but..."
--
Kanda felt his insides go cold, not that he hadn't expected it. "And I'd fucking check too, but..." He tried to get up, but felt too squeamish and 'not' fine, so he pulled the phone away and looked at it.
"Fuck. It's nearly...midnight..." He blinked for a moment, making sure he read the time right, before letting out an elaborate curse. He had done it again. Spent half his fucking day getting high off of--fuck knows what.
He was just thankful the idiot wasn't asking. But then--fuck if he'd blame him. And the cold feeling was back.
"How bad is it this time? Don't fucking lie."
--
"I--it's bad, Yuu. I'm not gunna lie. I...I can't see anythin'. That's why I asked ya for the time. I...think I have a concussion." He sat up, and felt something...tear, which drew a strangled cry from his throat. And it was loud. But he got it together, and spoke before Kanda could get a chance to.
"Ahh...fuck, I think--my shoulder--it opened again." Sure enough, when the boy raised his hand to where he knew the wound was, the bandage was already damp, as if the blood was soaking through. And well--damn, he felt stupid for even having to wonder--it was. "Yup...s'bleedin' again..."
--
Kanda cursed under his breath. "Baka--you shouldn't have moved, then! And if you can't see, then--damnit--I can try coming over there. Not sure if that fucking prat will let me leave, though."
****Sheryl****
Sheryl jolted when he heard the scream, fumbling with the fresh bandages he had grabbed, and nearly dropping them all as he rushed down the stairs, towards the room the redhead occupied.
'It figures he'd wake up the one time I'm not there to watch him.' He laughed bitterly to himself, as he made it to the door--kicking it the rest of the way open to see the redhead very much awake, talking on the phone, with a hand on his shoulder.
And blood.
Lavi's eye widened in surprise--even though he still couldn't see - when he heard the door burst open, and his head swiveled in the direction of the sound, though his eye was 'focused' about a foot away from Sheryl's head. Ignoring Kanda's question--for now--he addressed Sheryl first.
"Sheryl? Is'at you?" He tried to sit up just a bit straighter, and winced, the left side of his mouth twitching up with the action.
"Yes, it's me." Immediately, he went to the bed, noticing that Lavi was looking at him, but not really. "Don't try to move..." He looked at the phone still pressed to the man's ear. "Is that your friend?"
"Ah...yeah. Yeah, it's Yuu-chan." He heard the grunt over the phone, and couldn't help but smirk slightly. Then, he remembered, he'd been asked a question. "Uhm...Yuu can if you want--I think...?" He 'looked' at Sheryl.
"Yuu wants ta try an' come over, if--Wait, Yuu...what 'prat'? Y'okay? Wa's goin' on?"
Kanda scowled, rubbing his head. He really, really didn't want to get up. Or answer that question. "Don't fucking worry about that--just--" He exhaled. "Can I come over, or not?"
--
He could hear the worried tone in the boy's voice and that, in turn, worried him. Which friend was this again? And...?
"If it makes you feel better, then yes." Though he wasn't quite sure if the boy was paying attention or not. "Do you want me to talk to him?" Not that he quite honestly wanted to--if this happened to be the rude boy from earlier--but-
"Uhm--if I let ya, he might hang up again...but...I'un think I'm in a state ta give directions, even if I knew where ya live..." Then, he spoke into the phone. "Yuu? Talk t'Sheryl. An' be nice, please. ...For me?"
Not waiting for the other boy's response, he handed the phone off to Sheryl, and carefully laid himself back down on the bed, with the older man's help.
--
Kanda bristled for a moment, until he heard a decidedly unfamiliar voice on the other end of the line. /Hello?/
"Che."
/You're Kanda, aren't you? He said that you wanted to spend the night?/
"If I can." Damn, his head was starting to hurt. "Where do you live? Or--better yet, is there anything you fucking need?" There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end--great...an uptight kind of guy, lovely--"For Lavi. Bandages? Water? Painkillers?"
The other end was silent for a moment. /If...you don't mind--it's after midnight-/
"I know a place where I can get the stuff." He cut the man off.
Another round of silence, then, /Bandages...and--painkillers, I...rarely use them. So I never thought to refill and.../
"Fine then. I'll call back once I can fucking leave this place," He bristled even further when--goddamnit--someone opened the door again, "and once I get the stuff. Bye."
Then, rather unceremoniously, he snapped the phone shut, and glared at the man in the doorway.
****Sheryl****
"Well...he certainly is the rude one," Sheryl muttered, staring at the phone, and then at Lavi's confused and worried expression. "He hung up," he said simply. "Said he would get a few items, but..." he trailed off. "He said he might not be able to leave wherever he is, and that he'll call back when he can."
Each word, though, made him cringe as the boy's expression steadily darkened-
"Um, you do...know where he is, right?" Though he had a feeling the boy didn't.
'Oh dear.' Who had he just invited to stay over?
"I--no, I don't..." Lavi admitted, sighing. "I'm worried 'bout him, though. An'--I'm sorry he's so rude. He's...not a people-person. An' he's really protective over me, whether he admits it or not..."
He paused, thinking if there was anything else he should say, then-
"Uhm...could I have my phone back, then, or--I guess ya still need it, right? For when Yuu calls back...?"
Sheryl looked down at the phone in his hands. "Well...you need to go back to sleep--it would be best for you to, just in case he does end up coming for a few hours. In case you want to talk to him." It was obvious they would want to talk to each other, of course. "So I suppose it would be best if I kept it with me--at least when I leave the room." He paused, watching the boy's lone green eye flash tiredly.
"Though, quite honestly--I don't blame him for being protective. If you were mine, I'd be protective too~"
Goodness, he loved the little blush that spread across the boy's cheeks.
Lavi couldn't help the small squeak of embarrassment he let out, nor the--Damnit, he was blushing again, wasn't he?
"W-Well..." And damnit, he hated how he stuttered. "I'm not 'his', if that's what you're insinuating..."
Bah. It didn't help that he couldn't even see Sheryl. He could be molested (not that he thought he'd particularly mind, so long as it didn't hurt...), and he wouldn't even have any warning.
Sheryl let out a chuckle, leaning in closer to the teen. "Well, even if you aren't, he still cares about you very much~" And he knew if he wanted to, he could have, well, done something--patted the boy's knee, stroked his cheek--but he did nothing--instead, pulling back and sitting down on the chair he had pulled up some time ago, and picking up the bandages he had dropped so carelessly to the floor.
"Now then, we need to change your bandage. I don't have much left, but it will have to do for now."
Lavi's blush deepened and he nodded.
"Okay. Jus'...gimme warning before ya touch me...okay? I--can't actually see anything right now..." And perhaps, that was the most embarrassing part of it. He already had only one eye, and now he couldn't even see out of it. Fate was cruel. Especially to him, it seemed.
Sheryl tutted. "Don't worry, I will--and I'm sure that part will go away after a good sleep." He picked up a roll of bandages, before shifting up and onto the bed. He could see the boy tense unintentionally as he leaned over. "I'm going to touch you now~"
He felt his lips twitch as the blush flared up on the boy's cheeks. Oh--this would be fun.
"Ah--Okay..." Lavi mumbled, turning his face in the opposite direction from Sheryl's voice. Stupid goddamn blush.
And why was his heart pounding like that? That...wasn't right. Maybe there was something wrong with his heart, too...?
Sheryl smirked inwardly at the boy's futile attempts to hide his blush, and leaned in closer, touching the boy's shoulder as lightly as he could--working until the bandages fell away, and…frowning.
"It certainly is bleeding again." He let out a sigh, and began to re-bandage it, making sure the bandages were tight, but not overly so--and goodness, he loved how every time he got his face close to the boy's skin--he would blush this very nice...endearing...blush~
"There, done." Unfortunately, it was over faster than he would have liked, but he still kept his hands on the boy--appropriately placed, of course--watching--just watching as he squirmed lightly under his touch.
"I'm not going to do anything to you, you know." He did his best to sound mildly offended, and it seemed to work when the redhead stopped squirming, and almost looked ashamed. "I wouldn't do something to someone who was down for the count--so to speak."
'Nor would I take one into my home.' He had always been good about that--leaving his sexual exploits outside the home, that is.
"I'm--I'm sorry," Lavi mumbled. "Just--I guess I'm just not used to...being touched like that, constantly. Especially when I can't see. I hate feeling defenseless--which unfortunately, I very much am right now."
He sighed, and looked up to where he thought Sheryl's face was. Apparently he'd thought right, and Sheryl was much closer than he'd expected, as he could feel the man's breath on his face. Surprisingly, the proximity didn't bother him.
"So--sorry if I offend ya, just--well, I'm sure you can imagine why I'm a bit on-guard right now...?"
Sheryl blinked, surprised when the boy turned to him, then, slowly, he felt a smile form on his lips. "I understand." Though normally--after someone voiced protest he would convince them he wasn't doing a thing. Convince them, yes--convince them, but-
This boy wasn't them. So he pulled his hands away from the boy's shoulders, and patted his knee. "Are you cold? Would you like a shirt? Unfortunately yours is a bit bloody--I had thrown it out--but...I may have one that will fit you. If you don't mind of course."
"Uhm...actually, yeah. That'd be great, thanks." He tried to smile--it felt like he did it right--and hoped that it worked well enough. But damnit, he could still feel himself blushing!
Not to mention, his heart was still pounding in that so-not-normal, I-should-probably-be-worried way--and he was worried--even after Sheryl had left the room. And his face just kept feeling warmer and warmer, with each second that passed. He was sure he looked like a strawberry, by now. And when he heard Sheryl finally re-enter the room, the pounding in his chest got worse.
--
It didn't take very long to find the boy a shirt, thankfully--he might have been shorter than him, and maybe a little slimmer, but at least his shirts ran the risk of being too big rather than too small, and soon Sheryl found himself walking back through the very familiar guest room door.
To a very apparently blushing redhead.
"I found you a shirt," he said. "I chose green--hope you don't mind, it was the first that I found that would fit." Or that he thought would fit, anyway, he thought as he walked over to the bed, and sat down once more by the boy's hip.
He reached his hand out to give the boy the shirt, but then paused. "I'm going to touch you now. To help you put on the shirt." And without even a word of consent he rose on his knee--making the mattress sink just a little--and maneuvered the shirt so that he could get it over Lavi's head.
Then, carefully, he helped the redhead's arms through--being careful not to agitate or shift the bandages (he certainly hoped this 'Kanda' boy called soon with bandages, considering he didn't have enough to make another decent covering for the wound), and then pulled it down the rest of the way, hiding the creamy skin of the boy's lower stomach from view.
Then he looked up--oh dear.
"You really do blush easily."
And suddenly, the pace increased even more. Lavi sucked in a breath, and didn't even notice as his fingers dug tightly into the duvet. He was--so--close. And suddenly, Lavi realized--maybe that was the 'problem'. Only--it wasn't really a 'problem' at all. Not a medical one, anyways. In fact, now that he thought about it, it seemed...rather...obvious.
He was developing a crush. A big one.
...On Tyki's brother.
And just then, his face went impossibly brighter.
Suddenly the heart-beat picked up even more, and, well--hm, that was interesting too--wasn't it? Sheryl pulled back, and looked up-
Oh.
He felt his lips twitch at the boy's expression--shocked (he oh so did love shocking people), but...soft too. My, he wanted to see that expression more. But...
"Lovey?" The boy tensed, and turned to him, eye just a little wider than it had been. "Don't you think it would be good if you slept for a while?"
****A few hours later****
Lavi didn't know when he'd fallen asleep again...only that he'd just now woken up. He cracked his eye open slightly--just to see if...well, if he could see--and there, sitting on the chair next to his bed, was Sheryl.
The redhead was immensely grateful that the man wasn't currently looking at him, as just then, his earlier realization hit him full-force. He quickly snapped his eye shut--not quite wanting to face reality yet--and a soft noise left his lips, halfway between a squeak and a groan. He couldn't help it. And so--just in case--he shifted just slightly, pretending to still be asleep.
--
Sheryl wasn't quite sure when he had started to doze off, but when he cracked his eyes open, he knew it couldn't have been too long--it was still mostly dark out, and the figure in the bed was still sleeping.
He felt his lips twitch into a soft grin, as the boy shifted again--seemingly restless in whatever dream he was having (he certainly hoped it wasn't about whoever caused those horrible wounds)--and scooted closer, watching, intently as the boy attempted to roll to his uninjured shoulder only to yelp and move back.
'Oh my.' It really was quite amusing, wasn't it? He hummed lightly--watching as the boy shifted again.
Maybe he knew he was watching him?
But the lone uncovered eye remained sealed shut. So no, that--couldn't be it, could it?
'He probably doesn't even know I'm still here.' Ah--that posed an interesting thought. He hummed, as he leaned forward to tug the covers up to Lavi's chin (just in case the boy was cold).
'He doesn't know I'm this close to him, does he?' he wondered again, brushing a strand of hair away from the redhead's face, watching as the eye moved quickly under the eyelid--yes the boy must be dreaming.
He smiled. 'Would he notice if I...?' No--what was he thinking? What was he--? Well...he looked at the teen again, who obviously wasn't peaceful. Who obviously wasn't enjoying whatever dream he was having.
'This could help...' Though he knew Tyki would reprimand him for it later, and maybe he would reprimand himself, but he decided not to bother with it, instead leaning forward--and-
He barely brushed his lips with the boy's, when suddenly--and very obnoxiously--the phone rang.
Not just any phone. Lavi's cell-phone.
'Oh dear.'
He turned to pick it up, and turned back--fully ready to wake the boy if it turned out to be his friend--but-
Oh.
His lips twitched into a smirk, when he saw a lone green eye staring back at him.
'He was awake?'
Lavi blinked as he caught Sheryl's gaze, and suddenly-
Well, there went his blushing reflex again. Goddamn it.
He--he--Sheryl had just kissed him. Or...tried to. The contact was bare-minimum, but still! He--it was the thought that counts, right? Or the action, or--whatever.
"I--" And he realized, he didn't know what to say, so he instead pointed wordlessly to his cell-phone, which was still ringing.
Which unfortunately--yes, Sheryl did have to answer that, didn't he? Yes, yes he did. So he sighed, and flipped it open, recognizing the number almost immediately.
"Hello~?" he said too cheerfully, for the simple fact that he knew the person on the end probably wasn't.
/Ah, it's you./
"Who else would it be?" Sheryl chuckled, shooting Lavi a smile (oh--the boy blushed again!)--"Lavi's awake yes, but where are you? Do you need instruction--"
/Che, I'm outside your fucking house now. Open the damn door./
Sheryl blinked, completely taken aback. "How--do you know where I live? Didn't you say--"
/Apparently, people fucking know you. Now--door--open...please./
And then he hung up.
Lavi's blush deepened even more, and he all but squeaked out--damnit!--"He--Where is he? He got your address?"
Lavi was still horrendously flustered, and so he hoped against hope that the other boy was at least a good ten minutes away. Just so that he could get his wits back in check.
"No, apparently he's right outside. He just asked me to let him in." He looked over at Lavi's flushed face. "Though...if it helps--I can try to stall him with conversation? He did after all, bring fresh bandages and such--oh, and painkillers, since I was running low."
Lavi sighed, and shook his head--though he soon stopped, as--well, it didn't feel too great right now. "Go figure, he'd have extra painkillers..." the teen muttered bitterly.
"Well...okay. But--don' bother tryin' to stall him--it won't work. An' he hates pointless conversation. Jus'...show him in here, I guess."
"Well...if you say so?" Sheryl watched Lavi for a moment, before heading through the door--watched as he took a calming breath but, well--he hadn't missed the bitter words the boy had said before.
'Extra painkillers? That doesn't sound good.' Not that he would question it, of course--as he made his way to the door and opened it to reveal-
A frazzled looking teen of maybe eighteen--and even though the boy was very unkempt (clothes horribly askew though his jacket hid it well)--he was...gorgeous. Inhumanely gorgeous. It nearly took his breath away, but then the boy pushed passed him, and the feeling was gone.
--
Kanda scowled when he saw the man--a good deal taller than him (he always fucking hated that)--and staring at him like everyone else always fucking did.
Like he was some fucking doll to be looked at and--he shook the thought away, and shoved past. "Che--where's that idiot?" He turned to look at the man, who was still staring at him dumbly, but seemed--also--offended?
Like he gave a fuck.
"He's this way." Though the man seemed to understand that he meant 'hurry the fuck up', and quickly lead the way through a very spacious living room (with a kitchen off to the side--it reminded him of Tiedoll's place. No. He wouldn't think about them now), and then down a short hallway.
To a room with the door ajar.
And in that room? A redhead with flushed cheeks, a pained expression and--worried eyes (well, eye).
Somehow Kanda didn't exactly know what to say.
--
Lavi's eye lit up when he saw his best friend come through the door--even if his blush did grow a little brighter--and he outstretched his arms. Well--arm, as he had to drop his left one immediately, when the movement pulled uncomfortably at the wound.
"Yuu~!" the boy exclaimed, finally able to smile fully, and sincerely. If Yuu was here, then everything would be alright. At least-
-He hoped. There was the chance--a high one--that Sheryl would still--well, be Sheryl, even with Kanda here. In the room. Lavi definitely wouldn't put it past the man. But as long as he didn't try to be...'awkward' with Yuu, then...
And no, Lavi was not jealous. He just didn't want Sheryl to get hurt. And no he wasn't worried about the man. Nor was his blush darkening. No, no it most definitely was not.
Kanda made his way towards the bed, shooting the pedophile a deadly look, before turning back to Lavi. "Che--you're awake," he mumbled, dropping the pack to the ground next to the chair, before sitting on the bed. "Your wound--?" He wanted to see it, just to see if the man had wrapped it correctly.
No, he didn't know that much, but he did know a little more (considering one time he had to re-wrap some of Marie's bullet wounds) than most.
...And that definitely wasn't Lavi's shirt.
Lavi hesitated, but conceded after a moment. He tried to lift his--Sheryl's--shirt over his head, but stopped, wincing. "Uhm--help, Yuu? If ya wanna see it..."
Then, "An' why is your hair down? You never wear it down in public! I mean--not that I don't like it, just--I'm curious, y'know?" He paused, thinking. "...And you never gave me my hug, bastard."
Kanda frowned and helped pull the shirt up over Lavi's head, discarding it quickly and carelessly on the floor, and--not even caring that the guy was watching him (pervert)--took the boy in a gentle, but quick, hug before pushing him back to inspect the wound.
Well, it was wrapped well enough, though it should have been tighter (he tested it out just a little, ignoring when Lavi winced, but stopping when he hissed), and--well--
"Does it fucking matter why my hair's down?" But he had seen the redhead's nose crinkle, and he knew what was coming next. Syringe
"Well--no, but--why the fuck do you smell like smoke?" Lavi suddenly asked, scrunching his face up distastefully. "It...smells absolutely disgusting. Were you smoking? Where have you been?"
And then, suddenly, he remembered why he was at Sheryl's house in the first place.
"I tried to call you! Earlier, when he--after he left me alone. I called, and called, and you never answered! If Sheryl hadn't walked by--" And again, he couldn't prevent the light blush that painted his cheeks when he said the man's name. "Where did Yuu go?"
Sheryl's eyes widened slightly at the worried tone Lovey held--and for a moment he had to wonder--had the boy lied earlier? Who was this 'Yuu'--Kanda?--person?
But somehow, through all of that--he realized, maybe he should...slip out. Yes. That seemed like a good idea, so he took a few steps back until he was out in the hall--shutting the door as quietly as he could. True, he could be nosy but--if it were important, he would find out later.
****Kanda****
Kanda scoffed at that. "You live with a fucking chain smoker--you should be used to the smell. And no, I haven't been. That's one thing I won't do."
Well, shit that could be taken two ways couldn't it?
He let out a sigh, almost glad that this 'Sheryl' man had taken the memo, and slipped out. This wasn't something the man needed to hear--fuck, they had just met, and--
And Lavi was giving him that look--meaning he couldn't lie.
"A bar, apparently." Because that wasn't a lie. Not...really. "Downtown."
Lavi remained silent for a few moments, digesting the information. Finally, the boy nodded.
"The one thing... So--you do everything else? Or--Yuu would do anything else?" He didn't like that--didn't like it at all. But--oh well. "You said...'apparently'. How could Yuu have not been sure? Were you--you were stoned, weren't you."
It wasn't even a question. Lavi was sure--he just wanted Yuu to admit it.
"Che, again--apparently." And he was so fucking disgusted with himself. "And smoking's disgusting--you think I'd be able to do half the fucking stuff I do at school while having fucked up lungs?"
He just...didn't mind...having a fucked up brain, maybe. Or, well, Hell--he didn't know how much he actually had in his system, and yes that made him uneasy. Just a little. From the look on the idiot's face--that showed, just a little.
And it hurt that he couldn't entirely wipe it off--change it--make the idiot not worry, because he was, and--
He really needed to learn another word besides apparently. People apparently never handed that word well.
"How--how can you Yuu not know when you're stoned!?" Lavi growled, brows furrowed in a combination of frustration and utter confusion. He lifted his good arm, and promptly knocked his friend on the top of the head. Lightly, of course.
"You're--just--in denial," he decided, nodding. He was right, damnit.
"You'd say that too, if you couldn't fucking remember what the hell you did for the past 4 hours." He hadn't realized those words had slipped out--or that his hand had somehow grabbed Lavi's before it could retract back--and now he was playing with the man's fingers, damnit.
"I wouldn't call that 'stoned'. Or--I was but...not anymore. Not when I fucking woke up there."
"...Oh," was all Lavi said. It was all he could say, as he looked down at their now conjoined hands, his eye transfixed. Kanda was being...awfully friendly. And--touchy. Like Sheryl. And there went his heart again, but this time, he didn't know who it was beating for, even as a light layer of pink dusted his cheeks.
"But...you're okay, right? Like--nuthin' bad happened to Yuu?"
"..." He continued to play the boy's fingers, because that--"I...think...I..." He let out another sigh, and raised their conjoined hands--resting them against his forehead.
"I think I did something fucking stupid." Because it wasn't just did anything bad happen to him, he already knew--"I woke up on a bed in one of the back rooms with a fucking syringe, and a half empty pack of--something. I. Don't. Know."
Lavi froze, his hand going limp in Kanda's, but--he nodded. He understood. Sort of. Even though it hurt. And he didn't even realize he was crying--at least, his eye was watering--until he felt the tears run down his cheek. And even then, he ignored them. They didn't matter, not now.
"Yuu...promise me--you'll be careful, at least? If you won't stop--though I want Yuu to stop--then--at least...be careful?"
'If I can even remember fucking doing any of that shit.'
'If I can even fucking keep a promise for once.'
'If I can--shove them all to fucking Hell, and forget.' But that brought up painful memories--and the fucking idiot was crying now.
"Che, I promise." The words should have felt heavier. They didn't. Even when he reached out to brush the tears away, to scoff at the serious expression on the other's face--"Now worry about yourself for once."
Because he knew he wouldn't keep it.
Lavi nodded, and hugged the other boy, burying his face in the junction of the other's neck. He didn't quite believe Yuu, but--he wanted to. And even if--for some reason--he didn't keep his promise... But no--Lavi wasn't going to think about that right now.
"Why do I need to worry about myself, when I got Yuu an' Sheryl worryin' about me?" he asked, smiling. And the question was only half joking.
"Because, baka, you need to worry about yourself too, sometimes." And as if on cue, the door cracked open, and Sheryl peered in. For once, Kanda couldn't find it in himself to be particularly angry. He only hoped the man hadn't overheard.
Sheryl took his lack of--well--doing much of anything, as a cue to come further into the room. "I couldn't help but overhear that last bit," the man's eyes focused on how Lavi still clung to Kanda's middle--and Kanda noticed the boy flushed, almost like he was...embarrassed? Interesting--"and...I agree. You really should worry about yourself more, after something like this happens. After all, we can only do so much."
Then he smiled a knowing smile--as if he understood the concept far better than they did. "Which reminds me; would either of you like something to drink? It's obvious none of us will be falling back asleep anytime soon--except maybe you." His gaze fell on Lavi--who just blushed a little brighter--"Might as well."
Lavi blushed at the almost-admonishment, but seemed to perk up quite a bit at the offer of a drink, and he smiled brightly at Sheryl, not caring that Kanda was right. There.
"Ah, yes please!" he exclaimed, a bit of life coming back into his eye. "Uhm...whaddaya have?"
Sheryl smiled lightly at the boy's suddenly cheerful expression.
"Well I can make a good hot chocolate--or rather, hot cocoa. It's originally alcoholic but I can take the alcohol out if you'd like...?" He trailed off, looking between the two. Honestly--yes, he had heard bits and pieces of the conversation (had blocked his ears, but the doors were thin), and had heard the mentioning of being 'stoned'.
If the beauty sitting on the bed next to Lavi had just woken up from being stoned, then he wasn't quite sure alcohol would be the best thing. And for Lavi, it was out of the question.
Lavi shook his head vigorously--then stopped, as it sort of hurt--and made a face.
"No alcohol, please," he declined, and then looked at Kanda. "None for Yuu, either. But--hot cocoa does sound really nice right about now, Sheryl. Thanks.
And for once, Kanda had to be grateful that Lavi made the decision for him. He did not need more alcohol--coupled with whatever the Hell he had taken--he didn't know how the fuck he'd react to it, and he'd rather not spend the rest of the morning over the fucking toilet.
So when Sheryl gave a nod and a smile, and left the room, he let out a sigh--and relaxed--falling back on the bed (mindful of Lavi's legs, but not really). Damn, he was tired.
Lavi looked down at the dark-haired boy, and smiled softly. The other teen was lying perpendicular to the bed, his head in Lavi's lap. It was--really quite amusing.
"Ya tired, Yuu?" the redhead asked, running a hand through the Asian's bangs; then patting his cheek lightly.
"Che. Like I could fucking sleep, with the damn music going," Kanda groaned out--and no, he wasn't leaning into the boy's touch. No, he absolutely wasn't. He was just tired. Lavi was just familiar. It just worked out that way.
****Sheryl****
Sheryl hummed slightly, as he stood over the stove, mixing the correct amount of water, with the correct amount of cocoa and sugar. This would definitely be good. Oh yes--if there was something he didn't fail at, it was making drinks.
In fact, it almost reminded him of when Tyki used to live with him (even though that hadn't been for...oh, a few years now)--he always loved his hot chocolate.
'Hopefully they will too~'
It took a few more minutes for the ingredients to mix, and soon the concoction was bubbling away (he had added nutmeg and cinnamon to the mix as well--a little kick never hurt anyone did it?), and soon he could take it off the stove to cool. There, he added the correct amount of vanilla for two people, stirred it, and then poured it in the two mugs he rarely ever used anymore--plain simple mugs that he had gotten back in Portugal before they had moved--and added the whipped cream.
With the drinks nice and warm, he placed them on a tray, and headed back to the room; mindful of corners or anything obstructing his path--he did not feel like spilling this. Not now.
...Though the scene he was met with when he entered the room was--well--it made something flare up. A little flame. A little annoyance somewhere in his chest. Lovey and the man (who was still far too beautiful to even look human, but he was. Living and breathing)--were talking, lowly, sharing tired words between friends, and--
It wasn't until he coughed lightly that Lovey looked up, and smiled, cheeks slightly flushed.
"By God, Sheryl, that smells amazing just from here!" Lavi exclaimed in surprise. Then, he added with a light giggle, "Obviously, Tyki didn't get his kitchen skills from you. Or, well--whatever kitchen skills he actually has."
His smile brightened when the man brought the drinks over, handing one to each of them before sitting back in the chair. The redhead closed his eye, and brought the mug up under his nose, inhaling deeply, before taking a careful sip. Ouch. It was still too hot. And then-
-Lavi opened his eye, and it was alight with mischievous intent.
"Hey, Yuu~" he cooed in an irritating, rabbity manner, scooping some of the whip cream out of the mug with his finger, and dolloping it on Kanda's nose. Then, he leaned down--
And licked it off. Giggling madly the whole time.
Sheryl froze--watching as Lavi leaned down and licked--yes licked!--the whipped cream off his friend's nose. Watched as the boy simply scowled and Lavi's giggle, and suddenly he felt horribly out of the loop. So. Very. Horribly.
--
"Wha--?" Kanda felt the whipped cream (light and fluffy), then the tongue. "Baka." But the idiot was giggling, and grinning like all was right with the world. So--to get his attention of course--he dabbed his fingers into his own whipped cream and dabbed it on the boy's own nose.
Yes, it was childish. Yes, he'd probably be mortified with himself in the morning--but fuck if he cared--
...Fuck if Lavi did either (which he didn't seem to), as he started to complain--started to order him to lick it off.
"Gah--Yuuuuu!" the redhead whined, and he would have--would have--wiped his nose, had his assailant not grabbed both his wrists, smirking evilly all the while. Lavi frowned--seeing Sheryl scowl out of the corner of his eye--and then--
"Fine. You lick it off, then. Right now!"
Kanda's eyes widened at the boy's statement.
'What?' But he looked serious--as fucking serious as idiot rabbits could--with that pouting scowl that wasn't attractive. Not one bit.
And he could feel Sheryl's eyes on them, burning holes into the back of his skull--was he jealous?
"Che, fine then," so he leaned down and licked the cream off, smirking at the idiot's bewildered expression when he pulled away. "What? You fucking thought I wouldn't do it?"
The boy swallowed.
And Sheryl was horribly, horribly jealous. That little flare growing in his chest was now a full-blown flame--igniting when he saw the ebony haired boy lean down and lick the cream easily off the redhead's nose.
...Wait, since when had he been the one for elaborate metaphors? Since when had he been the one to be--well, okay, he did have a jealous streak, what of it?
And before he could necessarily think, the words slipped out. "My, my, and you two are just friends?"
Immediately they pulled away from each other, Kanda back to sitting and--oh, there was a little bit of cream left on Lavi's nose~
Sheryl smirked, and leaned in, not even caring when his hand landed somewhere between the Japanese boy's thighs, and lapped the rest of the cream off.
Did he mention he loved making the boy blush?
When Kanda had licked the cream off of Lavi's nose, Lavi had been surprised, to say the least. But when Sheryl had mimicked the action, he could have fainted from the shock, and--no, he was not turned on by that! Absolutely not. No way.
But when Sheryl pulled away, smirking at him like--oh Gods, how could someone so old be so damn sexy? He was blushing again. In fact, it wasn't so much a blush, as it felt like his face was on fire.
Oh dear...he hoped it wasn't too obvious.
Except it was. What the fuck? That certainly sent warning bells off in the back of his head--but...not bad ones. Kanda just hoped Lavi wouldn't be the fucking idiot he always was, and--
...Why the fuck was the man's hand literally on his crotch?
Normally he would have brandished Mugen at him (or at least swatted the hand away), but now--he was--well...shit. The drugs did more to him than he thought.
"Che, baka, your face is red."
Lavi tensed, and immediately his eye focused on him, then falling into his lap--where the hand still was, and--
"Fucking pervert, move your hand."
Lavi's eye widened in surprise and--why was Sheryl's hand there?--he growled softly, not even realizing the sound was coming from him.
No. No, he was not jealous. Absolutely, 100%, not.
But--what if he was? Sheryl was--he was--his hand---and Lavi found that he didn't like it at all. His eye narrowed slightly, and--well, maybe he was a bit jealous. And only a bit. But--so what?
Huffing softly, he turned his whole head away, a light pout on his lips.
'Oh my~' Sheryl smirked. "Goodness, you're blushing so hard! Whatever is the matter?"
Kanda almost snorted. Almost. But really, "Move your fucking hand. Now." Because it was getting uncomfortable, and that place had been touched much too recently for his liking. By someone he didn't necessarily like. And--fuck, he didn't want those memories to come back--go away--go away--go away--
"Oh? The little kitty cat really doesn't like being touched?"
Kanda tensed. 'Oh, fuck no.'
And Lavi's eye whipped back around them--wide and disbelieving.
Yes. Yes, he just did. And he really did deserve the prompt kick to the gut
Lavi cringed, but he knew--he knew Sheryl had deserved that kick. Though it didn't mean he wasn't worried about the man--a little bit. He gave Kanda an apologetic look, mouthing the words, 'Sorry, he's just...like that'.
Then, turning to Sheryl, he put a hand on the man's chest--and no, he didn't mean anything by it!
"Yeah, uhm--you really should keep your hands to yourself, Sheryl. At least where Yuu's concerned. It--gets ya hurt, as you--now--know. You okay?"
"Apparently--yes...I do..." Sheryl wheezed, straightening up as much as he could, before looking up at the feline. "Terribly sorry, won't do it again."
Kanda glared. "Of course you won't." Then, words ice cold, "Grab my crotch again, and you die."
Sheryl cringed at the thought. 'Good lord.' And really--he couldn't straighten up anymore--how hard could that boy kick?
But, well, that didn't seem to matter much, when the redhead next to them currently started to giggle. And not just any giggle, but--
"That's not fucking funny."
Oh, but apparently it was.
Finally, after a few minutes, Lavi's giggles died down, and he sat up straight--finally removing his hand from Sheryl's (very well-defined) chest, and setting it back in his lap.
"Ne...s-sorry, Yuu, but--it was just--Yuu sounded so goddamn funny!" he exclaimed, bursting out into a new fit of entirely unmanly 'laughter'.
Kanda frowned. "That isn't funny." Except he knew he wouldn't stop the idiot from laughing--even if it agitated the wounds (not that he hoped the redhead was worrying about them while laughing)--laughing now was good. Probably. Maybe.
And maybe that fucking pervert got it too? With the silent question on his lips, that slowly died away as realization hit.
And they shared a look then--pervert, and asshole aside--and Kanda knew--the man couldn't be all that bad, if he understood that. That one simple rule.
That one simple rule that made his stomach clench, because he never did the action enough, and goddamnit he wouldn't start making it a regular thing.
So instead, he ruffled the redhead's hair, and said, "Che--be careful, your wounds are going to open again."
"And shouldn't you two finish your drinks?" Sheryl tacked on, with a smile.
No, Kanda Yuu didn't do familiar family feelings either. Fuck no. He just continued to pet the redhead, and watch him sip the cocoa--get whipped cream on his lip, and then lick it off.
They just watched
Roughly five minutes later, Lavi had finally finished his cocoa, and--with a soft sigh, and a very satisfied smile--he set the now-empty mug down on the nightstand. He turned to look at Sheryl, and his smile grew brighter.
"That tasted amazing, Sheryl~" he gushed, eye lighting up. "Where did you learn to make it like that? I'm definitely gunns hafta try the alcoholic version, one of these days..."
He didn't tell either of his companions, but his wounds were starting to hurt a bit again. Especially the stab-wound in his shoulder. But--he didn't want them to worry, sure that it would stop after a while. He would just--need to be careful. And not move around anymore.
"Aha, well I'll make sure to serve it for you. But when you're better." Sheryl took the mug from the nightstand, and looked over at Kanda's still half full one--"Are you going to drink yours?"
Kanda shrugged. "Chocolate isn't my favorite." But he did take a sip--for courtesy's sake. And then another for good measure--well, it was rude when the man let him in at nearly 4AM in the fucking morning.
"If you're sure." The man stood, and moved back a bit, wincing, and Kanda almost smirked. Almost. "I'll be right back, then."
It was only when the man left that he got a whack on the back of the head from the idiot red head.
Kanda couldn't help but notice the flinch--the grimace--the--
"Your wound," he stated blandly, and Lavi jerked his hand back. "Che--did it open again?"
He hated how apologetic the boy looked.
"Do you need any painkillers? I made sure to grab them." The redhead shot him a dirty look. "What? They're just Tylenol."
Lavi blushed, and looked down. "...Why do you have so many, Yuu? Are you--addicted to those, too?"
And then--he thought of something else. But--he was almost afraid to ask. Even though he knew it was necessary.
"Ne...what was it Yuu gave me, yesterday mornin'? For my migraine...? That wasn't Tylenol..."
Kanda turned to the side, busying himself with looking for the small bottle he had miraculously remembered to chuck into his pack before he left.
"No." Even though the idiot knew it was a lie. "They're prescribed to me. For...something. The reason why I have so many, is because I don't fucking take them when the psych--doctor--they say I should." Oh, fuck no, he wasn't going that deep.
"They get rid of my headaches extremely fast, though--the downside is--fuck yes--they can be addictive. Hence why I keep them hidden, or else I know those brats would overdose on them the second they got in my house."
He found the bottle, and dumped one out. "Only taking one or two--not every fucking day, but maybe once or twice a week, won't do a damn thing. It's the only thing I have on me." He paused again. "And they...obviously...are painkillers, so they do that too."
Lavi nodded, but he didn't quite believe his friend. Though, by this point, he figured that if Yuu was still going to lie to him--well, he must have a pretty good reason. And so, he would trust him. For now.
He sighed, and held out his hand for the small pill, hesitating for only a moment, before popping it in his mouth. The redhead realized too late, that he didn't have any water, and made a somewhat disgusted face as he was forced to swallow the pill dry.
Kanda blinked at him, and then smirked. "I would've given you some of my hot chocolate if you waited." Though he supposed from the look on the man's face--he still wanted a drink, so he held out his hot chocolate and watched as the contents were drained--and only the whipped cream was left.
"Now we need to check your wound." Kanda murmured, moving closer--hands reaching for the shirt that was very obviously not his.
Lavi blushed, almost feeling ashamed, but then, he had an idea. He brought the mug to his lips again, sipping up the cream till whatever remained was now on his lips, and -
"Ne...Sorry Yuu, but I think I finished it... Though, there's still some whip cream left, if you want it." He smirked, pointing to his mouth. He knew Kanda would take the offer. He just hoped Sheryl didn't choose that moment to walk in. Though he felt guilty--why? It wasn't like Sheryl actually liked him--he just couldn't resist teasing Yuu. Plus, the older boy was an amazing kisser.
Kanda blinked when he watched Lavi down the rest of the liquid--what was he---? Oh. Oh. He more than got it, when the boy smiled at him, whipped cream covering his lips like something else that he wasn't thinking of.
Yes, he more than got the hint.
Leaning forward, he pressed a kiss lightly to the boy's lips--not even caring that the pervert could walk in at any minute, and--
Then Lavi moaned.
'Damn, he tastes sweet.' Except he didn't entirely mind it this time.
Didn't entirely--until the door opened, and he was pretty sure the man was in mid sentence but--stopped.
Dead in the doorway, and--when they finally broke the kiss (Lavi tensing, but only a little bit. Good.), the man coughed, uneasily, murmuring the words, "I...see..." before slowly shutting the bedroom door.
Lavi's eye widened in horror, and embarrassment, and he continued to stare at the door long after it had closed behind Sheryl.
Well shit. Go figure. As if he'd ever have a chance with Sheryl now. Wait--what? He did not just have that thought. No. Because he didn't care, right?
Oh, who was he fooling, anyway? Probably no one. Lavi groaned, and--ignoring the sharp spark of pain it caused him--slammed his face down into his hands, his elbows resting on his knees.
"Ahh...fuck."
Kanda jolted when the redhead slammed his head down into his hands, eyes widening slightly. Did the idiot really--? With the next muttered curse, it more than proved his point.
"Idiot."
xoxox
Author's Note: Terribly sorry again for the lateness of the chapter. I feel like I'm (Harmony283) the main one to blame for it because I always forgot to send it back after reading through it. *bows head*
But yes, it's here now (right in time for…well, at least my spring break)--I hope you liked it!
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