Hitomi: *smiles* Nice to see that Ice Flare is well liked. Bear with me if the plot is shaky or vague, if my humor's not all that well, if the action tends to be stiff, and whatever else is deemed as my personal problems in writing. I'm still trying to get adjusted to it, especially when I'm actually weak in writing humor. Action and adventure are also genres I need to get used to as well. As for the plot in Ice Flare, well, I'm still nervous about how this fanfic will turn out. But, I'll do my best in spite of everything.

Thank you all for the support – be it in reviews, faves, and alerts. It really means a lot to me.

And to the person who points out my French being wrong… Actually, I'm already aware rafale does mean burst and that it's a feminine word since I've taken a bit of French before. But, it does mean squall and I checked this in more than one source (which means I've checked more than once). As for why Rue has chosen Rafale as a male name, despite the fact it's a feminine word in the French language… Well, considering rafale does actually mean squall (aside from burst); I kept in mind of one of FFVIII's protagonists, Squall Leonhart, who is male.

Now then, time to start on this chapter~ And I apologize in advance for anything that may come off as… Well, odd, be it in humor or action (and Lord, I hope not, romance!).

Disclaimer: I do not own D . Gray-Man, Hoshinou Katsura-sensei does. The only thing(s) I do own in here would be my OC(s).

Ice Flare

V

Stalker and the Womanizer

[What a beautiful start to an everlasting friendship.

…Oh, who am I kidding here?!

This is a disaster! A calamity! MADNESS!]

What an odd turn of events this came to be.

"Lazy womanizer or not doesn't change the fact that you're a stalker!" Lavi shouted accusingly, pointing at Rue once again. "Seriously! Everywhere I go, you're always there!"

"Think what you want." Rue replied bluntly, shaking her head. "I just happened to pass by, that's all."

"Don't give me that! That's been your excuse ever since we've been crossing paths in school today! Really, what are you up to, Marucut?"

"What I'm up to is none of your business, Bookman Jr. As said, I happened to pass by since I'm on my way home too. Principal Komui hasn't given me a mission yet, which gives me time to prepare myself."

Lavi only sighed in exasperation, knowing that Rafale wouldn't fess up, no matter how much he tried to pry about his true objective.

"And besides… It's good that I was around or you would've been killed." She pointed out, her arm extending to the still unconscious thugs. "While you were too busy battling that Akuma, these two were going to attack you from behind, so I had to do something about it."

"Wait a minute…" He recalled everything, from the smoke that appeared out of nowhere to finding the out cold hooligans. "So, that was your doing?"

"Yes. I used a smoke grenade to keep myself undercover. Knocked out the first subordinate using a tazer; for the other one, I ended up using chloroform to suffocate him with."

You did that?! The Bookman apprentice shouted inwardly, looking deathly pale when hearing this. Where the Hell did you get that kind of equipment in the first place, anyway?!

As said, he's interesting. Deak mused; if he had a body of his own, he'd be smirking. Good strategist too, now that he told you how the other two morons were knocked out.

"So, you're lucky that you're alive right now." He snapped out of his thoughts, facing Rue's serious face. "Next time, you should focus on the enemies around you, not just Akuma."

"Grrrr, I already know that, but an Akuma's more dangerous than humans." Lavi argued, grimacing. "Never underestimate the Akuma, Marucut."

"I already know that they are since I had to battle them for training. Like you, I am an Exorcist, Bookman Jr., as you've already noticed." Her gaze hardened, arms folded across her chest, her eyes containing something unknown. "But, even so, you should already know by now humans are more than capable to do heinous things as well, you shouldn't misjudge them either. Believe me, I know."

As he was about to ask her what she had meant, especially since the look in her eyes intrigued him, the train happened to make its stop. Lavi went into the train, Rue following along.

"What?" He turned to her, giving a slight glare out of annoyance. "Are you going to follow me home too?"

"No," she replied back nonchalantly, her gaze cool as she sat down in an unoccupied seat. "For your information, I happen to take this train home. And also, since you happen to be Kanda and Lenalee's friend for quite some time, this means that we most likely live near each other. So, I'm not stalking you."

He only sighed at this, deciding that this was the truth she had spoken. But, that didn't change his opinion of her; no matter how he looked at it, he still considered her as a stalker. Grumpy, he also took an empty seat on the other side, one that faced her.

As the train made its stops and people came and went from its doors, Lavi observed Rue silently, studying her. Her face was blank of emotion, concealing what she thought so well. Her eyes were sharp and alert, that was for certain, but they expressed being lost in contemplation at the moment, as if in her own world. The aura she carried, which he had found as intimidating in school, was one of solitude. It looked like she wasn't the type to talk much.

What…? He frowned, shivering at the sensation she gave off. This feels familiar… Why?

Maybe it's because, in case you've forgotten, you yourself were like that once, 49. Deak reminded him of the past, of what he had been through in order to become the Bookman heir. I admit that it's under different circumstances, but… Perhaps, you feel a kinship towards Marucut?

No way! He protested, shaking his head furiously at such absurdity. I am not empathizing for him! Why would I feel that way towards him?! He's a stalker, remember?!

But, there's no denying it, 49. The feeling Marucut gives off is one that you've experienced yourself.

Lavi took a look, a really good look, at Rue again. The emotion in her eyes still remained; yes, there was definitely reflection there. But, one couldn't help but sense that there was a hint of sadness there too. It looked as if she was lost somewhere inside herself, trying to search for something.

An uneasy feeling rose in his heart, his stomach sinking. Was this guilt he was feeling right now? Yes, it was clear that he was feeling really guilty right now. Maybe he made her feel bad by constantly calling her a stalker. After all, she had saved his life today – not once, but twice. He didn't even thank her for it and he cursed under his breath, perhaps chastising himself for being so rude to her. The fact that she was a new student in the Black Order Academy didn't help at all on his feeling guilty either since he was normally friendly towards others, despite Bookman's protests.

He had caught her mumbling something, though, once she took a quick look outside the window.

"…It's going to rain, isn't it?" Rue muttered to herself, a small frown on her face, her hands now clenched into tight fists. "Troublesome. I hope I get home soon… I don't like the rain…"

His eyebrows rose slightly at this, but he had decided not to ask her why she was so critical about the weather. It was none of his business.

His guilty conscience was getting the better of him, making him shift restlessly in his seat.

Look what you did, you made him go quiet. Not only that, but he looks sad! He was trying to help you, even though he's a new student and doesn't know you well, but you just had to make him feel like an idiot. Way to go, Lavi.

* * *

Once they got off at their stop, they walked through the area in a restless silence. Rue kept quiet, the feelings she felt locked away inside herself. Besides her, Lavi was still squirming with regret, having an internal conflict with Deak about it.

Ugh, I can't take it anymore. Lavi moaned, running a hand through his hair impatiently. What do I do?

Well, it was your fault to begin with. Deak scoffed, sounding mildly annoyed. You can start by apologizing to him, for one.

And how do you think I'll do that? I can't read through Marucut, remember?

Whether you can or not, it doesn't matter. You still need to apologize. You're the next one in line of the Bookman clan; if you're on bad terms with others in your life, it's going to weigh you down and give you a bad reputation. And because of that, it'll be harder to extract vital information out of them when you need it. Do you understand?

Lavi was aware of this. As a Bookman, he's supposed to get important details from others he meets, including fellow Exorcists, for the sake of history. Even though he had slowly grown to acknowledge said-Exorcists as his friends, there was still work to be done. So, how would Bookman feel if his grandson didn't get out any information on the new Exorcist? Surely, he should've gotten some shred of information by now.

"Hey… Marucut…" It took him a while, but his hoarse voice finally got out, trying to get Rue's attention.

At this, Rue only took a peek at him with one eye, not answering back. Though, she seemed to be willing to listen.

"I've noticed that the whole day since you've entered the academy… You haven't taken out your Innocence, not even once." The answer to this can go either way, there was a risk, but he had to take it. "So, tell me why you haven't shown it. Unless, I guess, you don't want to."

There was a long silence after that, Rue facing forwards again as they continued their walk home. Lavi could only sigh, finally giving up on getting any answer from her.

But, hearing her voice was a surprise.

"…I'd rather keep it a secret." She said at last, reluctant. "Every time someone sees my Innocence, be it fellow Exorcist or Akuma, they just can't believe how it looks like. It's becoming rather… Unnerving and annoying at the same time. That's why I'd rather not show my Innocence to anyone until we enter battle. As far as who knows what form my Innocence takes, it'd be the Tiedoll unit, most especially Kanda since he's been training me all of this time. Lenalee and Principal Komui, obviously, know about it as well."

This confused and intrigued him at the same time. She didn't want to show her Innocence because of what form it took and it seemed that whoever sees it would be in for a shock. On top of that, only her unit and Lenalee knew about it…

…Wait, Kanda had been training her for quite some time? Could it mean that…

"Wait a minute," Lavi began again, slowly, his face in a thoughtful frown. "Kanda's been training you? So, does this mean that you're one of those Exorcists who decided not to enter the academy because of… A low synchronization rate? And because of this, you decided to train your Innocence until it was adequate for combat?"

His eyes may've been playing tricks on him or could it be that he actually saw Rue flinch a little at this?

"None of your business, Bookman Jr." Rue shot him down coldly with a deadpanned expression, drawing her cloak around herself. "There's no need for you to know about that. And I'm willing to bet on it that my unit will not tell you, even if you do have connections to them through Kanda and Lenalee. Unless you want to meet your end; then, please, don't ask things that shouldn't be asked."

He winced at her icy tone, feeling as if he had knives stabbing him all over.

And look what you did. Deak crooned with a forced laugh. You just hit a weak point of his when asking him that. Now, he's definitely not going to trust you.

Would you shut up?! He snapped back. I'm trying my best here!

Not good. Rue thought to herself, hiding the lower half of her face in her cloak, eyes in narrow slits. He's trying to pry something out of me. Well, I'll be damned if I let that happen.

"Yeah, maybe I shouldn't have asked that, after all." He said with a nervous smile, feeling her cold glower on him. "Sorry, Marucut."

"Hmph, they're only words and no action." Rue scoffed, keeping some distance between them. "I don't believe you."

"Awww, come on, I didn't mean it! I'm really sorry!"

Lavi's only response was a frosty silence, which made him clamp his mouth shut. She only frowned more, enfolding her cloak tighter like she was making a wall between them. If there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was other people not minding their own business.

It was at that moment that it had begun to rain. Rue cursed under her breath, letting out a sigh.

I wanted to get home before the storm, but I guess it's a little too late now. A bitter, quiet laugh was out only to herself, her eyes dark at the sight of raindrops as she felt wetness on her hair. I really don't like it…

Certain memories flashed in her mind and the only thing she could do was watch them pass by. Every day, they kept haunting her, reminding her on how she came to be. The days when she was with Riley before they were found by General Tiedoll…

Suddenly breaking out of her thoughts, Rue heard the water splatter against something and she didn't feel raindrops falling on her anymore. Looking up, she saw an umbrella held by none other than Lavi.

"You did say you didn't like the rain, right?" He asked softly, giving her a gentle expression. "So, I thought I'd lend you my umbrella."

He… He heard me? Rue mused, surprised that he even caught what she said on the train ride home.

"Yeah…" She mumbled uncertainly, looking away from him. "Thank you, Bookman Jr."

"Heh, I have to say it's too bad that you're a guy." He chuckled, making room for her to go under the umbrella as they continued on their journey, a grin on his face. "If you were a girl, I definitely wouldn't have minded being like this at all."

"Womanizer…" She said in between coughing.

"You're just jealous!" He grinned widely. "Admit it!"

A snort was her response, followed by, "Why would I be jealous of someone who was going to die today if I hadn't came by?"

"Hey, take that back!"

If only you knew, Bookman Jr., if only you knew…

* * *

By the time they got to their area, it was already a downpour. Hurrying, they made their way to Lavi's house first since it was close by. Though they were sheltered under the roof, the umbrella was still out.

"Are you sure you'll okay by yourself?" Lavi asked once they reached the front steps. "It's raining cats and dogs, you know."

"I'll be fine." Rue responded calmly with a firm nod. "It's not like I need an escort of anything. I'm fine going home on my own."

"But, you're so tiny for a guy, I'm afraid that you'll be blown away by the wind!" This had earned him a kick at his leg. "Ow!"

"Don't even joke about that." She muttered, giving him a sharp look. "I'll be fine, okay?"

"I don't know…" He looked uncomfortable and guilty. "I feel bad that you have to escort me home first. You'll be alone in this weather…"

"It's not a problem. Just as long as you're safe, I'm at ease." She turned around, ready to walk down the stairs. "See you tomorrow, Bookman Jr."

"Wait."

She felt a grip at her shoulder, feeling herself steer around until she met Lavi's serious face.

"Why are you so protective of me, anyway? You hardly know me and it's your first day as an Exorcist. So… Why?"

Silence fell between them, only the rain could be heard. After what seemed like a long time, Rue finally decided to answer.

"It's because…" She answered quietly, her voice strong. "It's because I feel it's my duty to protect you, Bookman Jr. No matter what, I… I want to make sure that you're always all right."

The look in her eyes told Lavi that she was honest with what she was saying. He couldn't tell what the feelings inside him told him about this, but it seemed to have given him something positive. Without even knowing why, his hand moved from her shoulder to her head, ruffling her hair softly.

"Then… At least let me know if you get home safe." With his free hand, he took out his cellphone from his bag. "Gimme your cellphone number."

With a nod of agreement, she took out her own cellphone, exchanging numbers with him.

"All right," Rue exclaimed, tucking her cellphone away inside her schoolbag. "Better get home before this becomes worse. Knowing General Tiedoll, he'll probably worry. Daisya, Riley, and Marie are on missions while Kanda's still in school. So, I'm the only one who doesn't have any plans."

"Yeah, better not make him worry. He's like a father to you guys. Of course," the Bookman apprentice couldn't help but laugh, seeing the sullen face of Kanda in his mind. "I know Yuu doesn't like it all that much."

She had to agree with this, knowing Kanda wasn't used to General Tiedoll being so doting and paternal.

"So yeah, go home." He said, pushing her gently. "Wouldn't want to keep him waiting, right?"

"Yes…"

"Hey…" She turned to look at him again. "You can keep that umbrella, okay? At least, just for today since it's raining and you don't have yours."

"Ah!" She had completely forgotten about it, having the item in her hands. Her eyes met the ground, an unsure look on her face. "But, I couldn't… It's yours…"

"You walked me home, so, at least let me give that to you." He remarked with a concerned frown. "Wouldn't want you to be sick because of having nothing to cover you and it's only your second day of school tomorrow."

"But…"

"No buts, Marucut. Just take it. If it really troubles you that much; then, you can return it to me tomorrow. Besides…" He scratched the back of his head, looking regretful and sheepish. "Consider it as a 'thank you' for saving my life twice today as well as an 'I'm sorry' for being ungrateful about it."

A hesitant "All right… If you say so…" was the response he got.

"Then, it's a see you tomorrow, Marucut." Lavi said with a smile, patting her head once more without thinking.

"Yes…" Could it be that he saw Rue give him a slight smile in return? Or was he having an overactive imagination? "See you tomorrow, then, Bookman Jr."

And so, he watched her go into the rain, watching her until she was out of sight.

* * *

"I'm home, General Tiedoll…" Rue called the moment she got inside the house. Immediately, someone hugged her tightly and spun her around, a jolly laugh ringing in her ears.

"Welcome home, dear daughter and official Exorcist!" General Tiedoll sang joyfully, smiling warmly as he set her down. "I was getting a little worried about you coming home because of how bad the storm looked outside, but it looks like you're all right. How was your first day in Black Order Academy?"

As they went into the kitchen to get snacks, Rue began to talk about her day in comprehensive—perhaps even excessive—detail from the beginning to the end. The merry Exorcist General was all ears, really listening into the story his daughter of the unit was telling him. By the time they got to the dining table with snacks and tea, the General looked to be pleased.

"Although," General Tiedoll began, smiling nervously. "You ended up doing it again, didn't you? Doing something like hold up Vice Principal Reever at gunpoint or causing some sort of ruckus."

"I'm sorry, General." Rue mumbled with a frown, munching on a biscuit. "I didn't mean to do it; surely, you know that… I still feel guilty when thinking about it."

"Yes, I do know about it, so it's okay. I guess it means you haven't fully adjusted yet… I suppose Lenalee and the rest of the unit will help you with that. Also," there was a small frown on his face. "How's the bodyguard duty coming along?"

"Seems to be okay, although…"

"Mm?"

"Bookman Jr… He's…" She went quiet. As she went on munching on her snacks, the General noticed that there was a brightness in her eyes that wasn't seen so often, not unless she was with certain people like the Tiedoll unit or Lenalee.

"You look… Happy, Rue." There was no other way to describe it.

"Do I, General?" She looked at him straight in the eye, not dropping her gaze. Indeed, there was no denying it once General Tiedoll looked. There was something, really something, in his youngest disciple's eyes that he had never seen before.

Suddenly, a ringing tune broke the mood, making Rue open her bag and rummage through it. Finally getting her hands out, her cellphone was blaring loudly, no doubt someone was calling her.

"Excuse me, General Tiedoll, I need to take this." Getting up, she walked out of the dining room and made her way upstairs.

This made the General smile because it told him that Rue had, without realizing, made a friend.

But, he was already aware that she still kept her distance due to her duties. From what he heard from Bookman, Lavi, too, had to detach himself from people because of his bloodlines.

So, one could only wonder how long that would last because everyone knows that no man's an island.

In due time, little by little, their hearts won't be so distant anymore…

* * *

By the time she made it up to her room, Rue had pressed a button, putting the phone close to her ear.

"Hello, Marucut speaking."

"Yo!" A cheerful voice greeted her at the other end. "Marucut, did you get home safely?"

Ah, right. I was supposed to call Bookman Jr…

"Yeah, I managed to." She replied, sitting onto her bed and taking off her bag. "I won't forget to return your umbrella tomorrow, okay?"

"I know. Hey, listen…" His tone changed to a serious one. "I'm still sorry for what happened today. You know, calling you a stalker and all that."

"Ah, it's all right. I don't mind, anyway."

"But, I still feel bad…" After being silent for a brief moment, he went back to talking. "Maybe you can eat lunch with me tomorrow, just for me to make it up to you. How's that?"

"Well…" She murmured, hesitant on the proposal. "I suppose…"

"But, in exchange, you'll have to tell me about yourself! And maybe your Innocence!" He said cheerfully; then, a nervous laugh escaping after as if reconsidering on this statement. "Well, you don't have to tell me about yourself if you don't want to; I was only kidding, a—"

"All right."

From what she heard on the other end, it sounded Lavi fell off of something. Or maybe he almost dropped his phone.

"W-What?! Are you serious?!"

"I told you," She answered again bluntly, deciding to put the phone on speakerphone for a moment as she went to change into new clothes. "I can arrange to tell a bit about myself, but not a lot. And as for my Innocence, I can't promise you anything. You'll have to see when I'm battling Akuma."

"Awww, come on!" He whined, not all that satisfied. "Do you have to be so secretive about everything?"

"Well, hey, I need to keep some part of me secret, am I right? Besides, you're one to talk as I barely know you either."

"…You got a point over there." He remarked, laughing. "All right; then, I suppose I'll have to be fair by telling you just a bit of myself as well."

"Then, I suppose we have a deal?"

"Yep, a deal's a deal."

They stopped talking after that, Rue now in comfortable clothes and relaxing on her bed while Lavi seemed to be doing something. Then, Rue broke the silence, switching the speakerphone off as she put her cellphone close to her face again.

"You know, Bookman Jr…"

"Hm? What's up, Marucut?"

"This…" She paused, shaking her head. "This is the beginning of a weird… Alliance. Or should I even call it that?"

"No need to be so mean about it, you; it's like you're trying to make me look bad! Heh, you got that right, though." He was amused. "What a weird friendship we're beginning to have."

"All right, I better go. It's been a long day and I feel tired…"

"Really? Sorry to hold you up, then."

"No, it's all right…" Her voice was soft, letting out a yawn. "It feels… Familiar, somehow, when talking to you like this. But, it doesn't mean it's a bad thing."

"I see…" He murmured in reply, it sounded like he was thinking. "All right, then. Have a good rest, Marucut."

"Will do. And enjoy doing whatever you're doing, Bookman Jr."

"Yeah, sure." He replied sarcastically, a snort escaping. "If researching on a lot of stuff is what you call enjoyment. I'm supposed to be sleeping too, haven't gotten any for a while, but it's better to deal with this now than later."

"Well, work is work, so I better not hold you up on it anymore. See you tomorrow."

"Yep, of course! And oh, Marucut?"

"Mm?"

"I know it's a little late, but… Welcome to the Black Order Academy. Okay, later!"

Click.

"Maybe…" Rue murmured to herself, feeling her eyes close as the soft pitter-patter of rain could be heard outside. "Maybe this rainy day hasn't been so bad, not like before…"

But… For some reason, this feels like déjà vu…

* * *

"So, did you get the information on that new Exorcist?" Bookman asked promptly once Lavi hung up his cellphone call with Rue.

"Not much, if at all, unfortunately." Lavi replied honestly, scanning information in one of the books he was reading. "I just can't figure Marucut out."

"In due time, it'll come… It seems that he may be a difficult one to crack…" He frowned in thought, a suspicious look on his face. "Perhaps… Marucut will be persistent like before…"

"Eh?" The Bookman apprentice caught him mumbling this, a small frown of his own forming. "Gramps?"

"…It's nothing, Lavi."

"Sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Just remember not to get close to Marucut. You know how the Bookman clan do their work."

"Yeah…" He felt dejected when hearing that as Bookman had said the same thing when it came to the other Exorcists like Allen, Kanda, and Lenalee.

Bookman's contemplative face morphed into seriousness. "Let's get back to work."

"At least let me nap a little first!" Lavi cried out indignantly, only to get smacked by his elder on the head with a thick book.

"Idiot apprentice! You'll get to sleep as soon as you're done!"

"That won't motivate me anymore and I've been reading for over an hour—"

SMACK!

"For that, I'm extending your work time for one more hour!"

"NO WAY!"

Hitomi: …As you can see, obviously, I'm already done. *SHOT* Yes, I haven't updated in a month and I do apologize for it. I've been trying to gather ideas for this fic, considering that it is an AU/AR. So, I had been trying to get some good ideas for it.

*nods* Of course I got ideas for it. I want to go slowly with the plot, so please be a little more patient. For now, I want to Rue to get used to her life as a student in the Black Order Academy before being sent off to missions and what not. Besides… XD It's a good excuse to let her get to know Lavi since she's guarding him without his acknowledgment and consent.

*coughs* And yeah, we really need to know what her Innocence is. Let me tell you something here… It's not Deathtrap and Lifeline this time, unlike in Unravel. So, I need to get creative with the Innocence I'm creating for Rue in this fanfic.

XD BWAHAHAHAHA, I wonder how Lavi and Rue's relationship will go from here!

Though I'm pretty sure you're wondering what Bookman meant by that statement regarding Rue. It makes it sound like he's met her before, don't you think? Or could it be another thing altogether? The same for Rue having déjà vu when it concerns Lavi, there seems to be something there… Nope, I can't give it away~ Because this is something that'll be revealed later on.

Apologies for OoCness and other mistakes (concerning grammar and what not AGAIN). I just hope you found this enjoyable.