Entry V: A Smooth Criminal

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…nothing really did beat the excitement of the auction, though. The auction. Apparently Komui didn't actually know that Lenalee would be offering herself up for the bid as well (because of her not-so-secret ulterior motive of affirming Yuu's feelings for her, frigid little block of ice he was). You can imagine how much trouble that caused.

Nothing compared to what Allen's auction caused, however.

Okay, well, no destruction or stuff like that. Just…what it caused for me…

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In the bright wash of light, Lenalee fixed the ribbon around her neck and tilted her head at an angle, smiling at her own reflection. After taking a quick look around to make sure nobody was in the same room, she allowed her smile to turn a little more flirtatious.

"Alright," she whispered, lifting an eyebrow and watching her reflection do the same.

"Looking good, Lenalee," Allen said, popping up beside her and looking amused. Lenalee yelped and spun around.

"Allen!" She blushed at his knowing grin and the appreciative look he shot her. Then, pausing in scolding him for scaring her, she took a good look at what he was wearing.

She swallowed.

"If I didn't have someone I like, I'd totally go for you, Allen."

"Mm?" Allen looked back into the mirror and frowned, tucking an errant lock of hair behind his ear. "You like this?"

Lenalee took a moment to admire his slightly tighter white shirt and the casual jacket he threw over it. He had even popped a few more buttons open on his shirt, just enough for Lenalee to be able to see his collarbone and the beginning of his chest.

"Very nice." She reached over and adjusted his jacket lapels, making it just a little crooked to give him the slightly disheveled look. The shirt was tucked into the tightest pair of pants she'd ever seen. She giggled and pulled it out, letting it hang, most coincidentally, just above his crotch area. After that, everything was fine. She nodded in approval.

"You're taking too much joy in this," Allen muttered as he pondered Lenalee's tube of eyeliner. She smiled and reached up to muss up his hair a little more, adding to the windswept look.

"You look great, Allen," she said sincerely. Placing her face next to his, looking at their reflections, she frowned as she noticed something was missing.

"Eyeliner, of course." The tube was deftly picked up and she uncapped it, motioning for Allen to take a seat.

"Erm, Lenalee?"

"Hmm," she pressed a hand against his cheek and tilted his head both sides in turn, examining the effect the light had on him. "Most guys can't pull it off, but I think you'll look good in this, Allen."

"But, my scar…" He looked hesitant.

Lenalee paused and allowed a sympathetic look to cross her face before she smiled normally again. "Don't worry, it won't affect this. Just close your eyes and stay still…"

Allen gulped as he saw the sharp brush approaching his eyes. Lenalee paused and looked annoyed.

"Allen. Close your eyes. Now."

Taking a look at her face, Allen hurried to obey, squeezing his eyes shut and hoping that he would be alive to actually face the auction.

.

Well, this was vaguely amusing.

Lavi smirked as the scientists clambered over one another to outbid each other for the next item.

Which was no less than the ability to control – or destroy – any one of Komui's inventions, including and not limited to the Komurin series.

"FIFTEEN!" Reever hollered, raising his hand.

Russell quickly counted his money and nodded decisively. "TWENTY! Beat that, old man!" He smirked from across the hall.

Johnny grabbed a few people and pulled their heads together into a quick discussion. Komui was dabbing at his eyes with a handkerchief.

"Hurry it up already!" Russell growled.

"Twenty? Twenty…twenty?" Komui looked up with huge eyes. "Sure nobody wants to up that? Really? Really? Going once – is that a hand I spy? No? You were just stretching?"

"STOP KILLING TIME ALREADY!"

"Go-going, going twice – NO! This is a travesty! It should never have been up for bid in the first place!"

"IF YOU DON'T LET ME BUY IT ALREADY – "

"THIRTY!"

Russell paused, fist raised mid-air, gaping at Johnny. Johnny nodded at a shell-shocked Komui. "Thirty."

Komui slammed his hands on the table. "NOOO! Johnny, Russell, Reever, you traitors!"

"Actually," Johnny put a hand to his chin, "all of us will get a go at destroying it. We'll choose a Komurin."

Reever closed his mouth and thought for a while, his eyebrows knitted together. He met Russell's gaze.

After a moment in which there was nothing but Komui's screeches and the twittering of the crowd, they nodded at Johnny.

"NOOOOO! Thirty? Only thirty? Sure we have to sell this? I mean, I could stamp more documents – "

"Nice try, Chief." Reever smirked. "That's your job and you darn well know it."

"Reever! You, you – "

"This has gone on too long already, Brother."

Everybody turned their heads casually to see Lenalee come out from the side with Allen.

Then their jaws dropped.

Lavi's mind stopped working.

Apparently insensitive to the silently shocked – perhaps even lustful – gazes she was receiving Lenalee plucked the microphone from Komui's slack hand and smiled at the audience.

"So, that's thirty for the 'Destruction Pass' then? Going once, twice, sold! There we go, Johnny."

Komui's face had turned pure white as he actually took in what Lenalee was wearing.

By all means, it was not too revealing, or any such thing. But it was a deep, deep red tube dress with stripes that crossed over her back, showing glimpses of her skin. The whole ensemble stopped just slightly above her knees, a little longer than what she usually wore, but that was – for some weird, hormone-induced reason – even…sexier…than her Exorcist uniform. Perhaps by pure virtue of the fact that it was made to be a party dress far more provocative for Victorian times than was usually worn by the women of that period.

To top it off, her hair was curled nicely and rested on her bare shoulders, bringing the attention to her face where Lavi swore she had put on a subtle bit of eyeliner to enhance her eyes even more, and a dab of lipstick to make her lips poutier – make it look kiss-bitten, even.

Lavi knew that he would have totally gone for her if his attention weren't already stolen by the smirking boy next to her who was –

Who was looking straight at him.

Lavi stopped breathing for a while. Allen's lips curled a little, and the light he was in shone on the little bit of skin he was showing, and reflected off the so very tight pants. Allen tossed his head a little – almost like a stag staking its claim – and made very sure that Lavi caught the message in his eyes.

Which, if he dared hope, might have went something along the lines of 'I want you' and 'stop being a fool'. And hopefully, a possessive 'you are mine'.

Only, of course, if he dared hope. Allen kept his intense gaze on him and Lavi, in his struggle to continue drawing breath, nearly missed what Lenalee said next.

"Okay, everyone, had fun tonight?" Lenalee said, smiling and tilting her head.

Stammers of agreement, mostly from the hot-blooded men in the crowd, answered her call while the ladies just shot her amused looks. Lenalee returned their knowing grins.

"For the last part of the auction, we have two very special bids. Have you ever heard of…bachelor auctioning?"

"Oh no, Lenalee, you didn't," the assistant under the Head Nurse said, gasping in delight.

"Yes I did, Emmy," Lenalee smiled. "Tonight, we are auctioning me – "

"NOOOOO!"

Lenalee ignored her brother with ease. " – and our very dear Allen Walker."

There were several squeals from the girls in the crowd, accompanied by more than a few interested glances from the other side of the gene pool.

"Wait." Lenalee raised her hand to stop the flurry of hands raising before the bidding even started – she couldn't help but blush a little at the amount of attention she was receiving, although Komui did affirm daily that she was a blooming lady. By sheer force of will she pushed her apprehension back and hoped to god Kanda was still there.

"There are some rules, of course, given that we are being auctioned here."

Well, of course, Lavi thought. Because who knew what would happen if one of those many men did manage to nab her and, since they knew Komui would kill them anyway, proceed to attempt their wicked way with her? Not that Lenalee wouldn't kill them first, but etiquette was etiquette.

He paid extra attention to what she was saying. Only because this was getting far too exciting – nope, nothing to do with the boy beside her at all, nope.

"One – we are only auctioned off for half a day. And that means tomorrow twelve noon to midnight."

There were some groans of disappointment, affirming Lavi's belief that more than half of them wanted her only because of the potential of sex.

"Two – we call the shots too. You may decide to take us on a date, and we will agree – but as to the activities of the date, if we're uncomfortable with any of it, we can call it off anytime."

That was reasonable – they weren't exactly slaves after all. In the end they were still highly valued Exorcists.

"Actually," she smiled, "those are pretty much the only two rules. If it's fine, we will start the bachelor auctioning." Her smile twisted at the edges, mischievous. Lavi actually heard some guy near him whimper.

She tossed the microphone to Allen, who caught it deftly and flashed the audience another smile before speaking into the device, his voice lower than usual.

"For Lenalee Lee" – Lenalee smiled and turned deliberately just as she reached spotlight, the skirt fluttering around her thighs – "we will start the bid at – "

"FIFTY!" Komui screeched.

Allen smirked. "That's hardly fair to everyone. We'll start it at twenty five."

There was a hushed whispering as Komui turned the full wrath of his glare on the crowd, daring any of them to even start bidding for Lenalee. Lenalee rolled her eyes.

"If there's nobody, then I guess I will just have to elope with the first man who tries, then," she sighed dramatically. Komui whipped his head around to gape at her.

"No, Lenalee! You can't – you can't marry! At all!"

"That's why I'll have to run away," she tapped a finger on her lips, tilting her hip to one side a little and in the process lifting a side of the skirt subtly. Somebody cracked a glass next to Lavi.

"Thirty!" An almost desperate and, in Lavi's opinion, suicidal person called. Komui spun around so fast he should have gotten whiplash.

"Who is the heathen who dares – "

"Thirty two!"

"Thirty four!"

"Thirty seven, damn it!"

"I don't have cash, gimme some – "

"No way! Since I can't you shouldn't be able to either!"

It seemed as though they were emboldened following the first person's vote. It helped that most of them were attempting to shroud themselves in shadow.

Lavi jumped when he heard Allen's voice, low and amused. "Thirty seven, then? Is there no higher bid for such a lovely lady?"

"Forty."

There was a hush at the low voice that announced this. Lavi himself gaped at the man near one of the side entrances.

None other than Kanda Yuu met Komui's stupefied gaze with a steely glare of his own. "Forty."

Allen smirked. "Forty. Is there no one willing to outbid him?"

Kanda growled. "Don't push it, you beansprout – "

Some Finders had apparently pooled their money together, little though it was. "Forty five!"

Allen ignored Kanda and announced the new price. "Forty five is decent enough. Going once, twice – "

"Fifty."

An angry cry sounded from the group of Finders. Komui whimpered in despair.

"Fifty is a grand sum indeed." Allen looked cheerful and far more willing than Komui to proceed with the auction. Unsurprisingly, it had gone at lightning speed for Lenalee.

"Going once, twice" – he glanced at Lenalee and received a nod from her – "gone. To Kanda Yuu, then."

Kanda didn't respond to this other than stalk to the front to throw his bundle of fifty chips into the box on the table. Komui looked like he was about to break something, which was when Lenalee intervened. Throwing one more dazzling smile to the excited and murmuring crowd, she grabbed Komui and pulled him to the side where Jeryy was waiting, as per instructions, to restrain him.

Lavi swallowed when she came back and swiped the microphone from Allen, her cheeks a little flushed under the bright light and the bidding for her company. Although Allen had said to her that it would be no problem, she didn't actually expect Kanda to bid –

Now though, there was a bigger problem to solve. Looking out into the audience, she caught Lavi's eye and smiled, making sure the boy saw it. When he met her gaze and blanched, paling, she lifted the microphone to her lips and started the last auction of the day.

"The moment you've been waiting for, ladies and gentlemen," she said, grinning as Allen walked to the spotlight amidst squeals and applause.

No, Lavi corrected in his head. Allen was positively prowling, his eyes gleaming and the smirk pulling at his lips making Lavi a little weak-kneed himself. He knew that Emmy, the nurse up front, was already starry-eyed –

He would not allow himself to gush like the ladies in the room.

Lavi tugged at his collar. Allen had turned to face the audience and was smiling like the last time they played cards against that Noah, his face confident, leaning his hips against the table.

"We will start the bid at twenty five – "

"Thirty!" Emmy waved her hand. The girls around her giggled and nodded. If Lavi recalled correctly, they had chosen to opt out of the games and had observed instead…good. He sighed in relief. That meant they had no chips to hand to Emmy.

Wait, it didn't mean that he would be bidding –

Lenalee smiled. "Thirty. Anybody adding to it?"

"Oh, you're so cute, sweetheart! Thirty five from me, then!"

Lavi nearly choked on his drink when he heard Jeryy add his bid. Even Jeryy?

The chef was grinning. Allen looked back at him and grinned, making Jeryy and Emmy – and probably some other shy ladies – swoon a little.

Lavi pressed his lips into a line. Of course Jeryy would be outright and open about his sexuality – it seemed like no one around the room even really cared, given that they were mostly just watching the proceedings with delighted amusement. Then again, Jeryy had always already been a flirty person who made no secret of his fondness for Allen – it was likely most people just closed one eye because he was a wonderful cook, but he knew that in general…they probably wouldn't be that open.

He shook his head, trying to rid the dark thoughts and concentrate on the present instead. Emilia was blushing and counting her money. Then, nodding, she raised her voice. "Forty!"

Lenalee smiled. "Forty? That's a pretty sum – anybody wants to add to that?"

Allen had smiled at Emilia and was looking back up – at Lavi.

Lavi's eye widened. Allen looked as calm as always, but his eyes were less intense now, just placid – in a way which Lavi knew meant that the boy was secretly angry at something and was trying to hide it. It was almost as if the boy was disappointed, though he shouldn't have any reason to be.

Was he, was he actually expecting Lavi to bid for him?

But that was impossible. Lavi likes him, of course – a hell lot too, if he was willing to admit it to himself – but there was no reason Allen or Lenalee would have known. They wouldn't have arranged this just for some sort of action to be taken on his part, would they?

Or – he gaped a little when Lenalee looked at him as well – they would have.

Lenalee was so sure he had a crush the other day when they were talking, and wasn't it true that Allen was flirting with him? Surely his senses weren't so dulled that he misread Allen's moves, and the eye contact the boy was making with him now?

If, if he was thinking this through correctly, it could mean that Allen might like him as well…and if he had the courage to do this it could turn into the most public coming out ever in the history of highly conservative Victorian society. Not to mention the highly anal Vatican rules they were working under.

Lavi's brow furrowed and he clenched his fingers into a fist.

Lenalee was looking a little worried now as she heard the murmurings of the crowd and how not many people had enough chips left to bid. They were merely waiting for the results – she couldn't put it off any longer. Taking another glance at Lavi, who had his head down, she sighed and brought the microphone back up again.

"That's forty then!" She smiled brightly. "Going once, twice – "

Allen looked back to the front, still smiling.

Lavi clenched his fist tighter and lifted his head.

"Forty five."

There was another hush, and Lavi could practically feel all heads swivel around to find out who it was that added to the bid. Krory, next to him, looked at him with shock on his face. Lavi ignored everything and looked straight ahead.

Lenalee smiled, relieved. Allen's shoulders relaxed a little too and, as he did for all the other bidders, he grinned at Lavi, smile bright and eyes now with that intense focus in them again.

Lavi just knew he will be getting hell from Bookman for this.

Bonnaire tapped his – or her (the man's preferred gender pronoun) – lips at this interesting turn of events. Then, he raised his hand. "Alright then, fifty!"

Reever whipped his head around and gaped. "Where did you get so much money!"

Bonnaire sniffed. "Russell gave 'em to me, of course!"

Lenalee blanched a little, knowing she'd have to start counting down at the unexpected competition. "Mm, we have a fifty here! If nobody is adding to it, it's going once – "

"Fifty five."

A second hush, filled with more whispering this time as people started to realize who the bidder was. With his training Lavi managed to rein in his blush, concentrating with his full force only on Allen and Allen's gaze alone.

Allen's smile softened, and he tilted his head a little to the side.

Lenalee smiled in relief, hoping this would be the end of it. "Fifty five! We'll be going once, twice – "

Most people had given up, either because of the lack of chips or because they were simply curious about the fact that Lavi, the Bookman's Apprentice, had actually cast a bid for his own friend. Instead, their heads were swiveling between Allen, who had a grin on his face, and Lavi, who was resolutely ignoring everything around him. The whisperings in the hall had actually increased in volume, filled with more than a few giggles and shocked, unsubtle glances at him.

"And gone!" Lenalee said cheerfully. "And that's the end of the Auction and the activities planned for the night, thank you for your participation!"

Most of them looked back to the front, starting to laugh and clap for the party, even if the end was unexpected, to say the least. Lavi's heart sank as he felt the undisguised disgust from some people, people with whom he had chatted and laughed with during the party.

Emmy and Jeryy did look pretty disappointed that they lost the bid. They seemed to be heading toward him – to question him? To chat about the proceedings of the party? Lavi wanted to curl up a little already what with Bookman looking over at him, his gaze as usual impenetrable and heavy.

Looking up, Lavi saw Allen heading down the stage as well. Quickly pulling out all sixty of his chips, Lavi strode forward and tossed them into the box.

In an equally fast motion, he turned and fled out of the still-bustling hall.