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A/N: It took a little longer than I'd hoped, but here's chapter 12! I will get 13 finished as soon as I can so you can see more progress with Allen and Kanda. OTL
"Alllllennn~ What are you dooo~ing heee~re?" Lavi sang— concernedly— as the friendly young Exorcist emerged to join their table at the tavern. Imelda had thought for some time that Lavi was acting strangely today. It looked now like this might indeed be at least partly to do with Allen, just as she suspected from their daytime patrol of the city.
"I just wanted to come check on you, Lavi. See if you— um, I mean your group, is doing okay…?"
Allen and Kanda, most likely.
She'd found an interesting pattern between those two boys, since spending time with them on the train. They exuded a frenetic sort of energy whenever in each other's sight— especially noticeable when they weren't able to speak to each other, but still in each other's presence. That energy between them was constant… until they had to be apart.
It also fluctuated a lot, with variations for their unceasing light banter, heavy bickering, and 'impromptu spars,' as she liked to consider them. The silences between them were electric. Imelda has witnessed a few too many furtive glances from Allen when Kanda wasn't looking, as well as the way Kanda was trying a little too hard to ignore Allen. Also, he appeared to ignite with fury once Allen engaged him, but in his subtle way he only traded one sort of tension for another. It was just so… obvious… that he escalated things from Allen's little jabs because he wanted the attention, she occasionally wondered if there was something else going on.
So it was quite something to her, spotting Allen— in the corner of her eye— pressing up close to speak into his ear at their meeting, earlier that night. Allen's hardly shy, and Kanda's not always antisocial, but the impression those two seem to want to give off while around each other is that of antagonistic rivals. To Imelda, even before then, something was off about the two of them— extraordinary conflict between outer behaviour and inner state of mind— but that clinched it for her, just what nature of bond they shared.
Lenalee was beginning to pick up on it too. She'd actually confided in Imelda back on the train that she used to think she should break the boys' quarrels up, before she at some point figured out that they, in her words, were 'enjoying themselves.' She wasn't sure if the boys themselves realized it however, and knew that regardless of whether they did or not, they would be none too pleased if she dared bring it up.
Imelda used Lenalee's comments and reactions to help form a baseline of usual behaviour for the boys, whom she hadn't met before this mission. (She had worked with Marie in the past, and believed him to be a kind man and excellent judge of character, but so very enigmatic.) Lenalee wore an odd perpetual smile around those two, which deepened as they interacted with each other. It spoke to Imelda of quizzical, yet genuine happiness for her friends.
"We're doing wonderfully~ aren't we, ladies?"
"Huh?" Only poor sweet Raphael was out of the loop.
"And Raphy here, too—" Lavi turned to face the mild-mannered fledgling Exorcist, and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "We're having a great time, aren't we buddy?"
Allen's face contorted with a bizarre mixture of amusement and concern before settling on his default smile. "Uh… erm… you're sure, Lavi?"
Lenalee decided to chime in here: "Allen, we really are quite okay. Is something up? Or actually, you're just standing there… wouldn't you like to join us?"
"Thanks Lenalee, but I was thinking of taking a shower before retiring for the evening."
"Go for it, Bean Sprout. You and Yuu are lucky, having the baths all to yourselves tonight~." There was a subtly cajoling tone to Lavi's voice that Imelda couldn't have missed if she tried. Even Lenalee giggled. "Marie told you I'd be going in the morning, right? Along with my buddy Ra~pha~el here, of course~"
Lavi gave poor, innocent, adorably reddening Raphael a squeeze now and Allen's smile turned pained for a moment— worried.
Ah ha. It's not just Allen and Kanda on his mind! Lavi's hardly a snob. He shouldn't have any problems with a sweetheart like Raphael, anyway. Why such forced chumminess?
"—and these two gorgeous ladies!"
Lenalee rolled her eyes, missing that although Lavi started with a lascivious grin aimed at Imelda, his gaze passed rapidly over her blushing face to settle on Lenalee. As she slowly shook her now-lowered head, he scanned her entire body. Raphael, too, appeared oblivious to how the very same guy with an arm around him was checking out his girlfriend even as he joked of bathing with her!
"Lavi…" Lenalee warned; exasperated merely at his words.
Imelda reeled slightly from the sleazy humour, though not bothered that much, for her part. Rather, she now had a better idea what Allen was so concerned about, on Lavi's behalf. She hadn't missed any of it up till now, after all. Each highly rare and very brief, but incredibly intense longing glance toward the other girl spoke of a copious melancholy that drowned out even his ample lust for others of the so-called 'fairer' sex.
"Shoo, Bean Sprout! Yer not gonna let Yuu all alone, with the place all to himself now, are ya?" Lavi grinned at Allen's faltering smile.
Lucky for Allen, Raphael had already squirmed out of Lavi's grasp, so he and Lenalee were in their own conversation by this point. (In which she gigglingly assured him that this is just how Lavi is and not to worry, he didn't really mean that.) So they didn't notice the deep flush to Allen's face now.
But Imelda did.
"O-o-okay… thanks, Lavi!" he exited hurriedly, and Imelda smirked to herself.
"What?" Lavi asked, now picking up on her scrutiny.
"Oh nothing." Being sharper than he tends to let on, Lavi didn't seem convinced. "I think maybe Allen's jealous of that bath you're apparently having with us in the morning."
"I'll bet he is," he agreed pleasantly. "Too late now!"
Without trying, Imelda found minuscule gaps in the curtains Lavi had hastily pulled over his feelings. In his eyes, and pauses in his speech, she caught glimpses of that earlier show of melancholy— and apprehension. He was appraising her; interpreting what she knew…
He was very good at reading people when he wanted to, this junior Bookman.
"I regret to have inform you, Lavi dear, but you boys are on your own," Imelda informed him with a flirtatious hand on his shoulder— in hopes to loosen him up a bit.
He took that hand in his immediately, wearing a sultry smile as he answered haltingly: "What. A. Shame."
To someone like her, it was plain to see in his deadened eyes: his heart wasn't in this performance. While Imelda had little interest in gossiping about third parties, she had trouble leaving others alone if she could tell they were hurting.
Lavi was hurting…
As the other two were still occupied, she chanced prying a little: "But I noticed Allen was so concerned… Is everything really alright with you?"
Upon finishing those words, she glanced pointedly toward the other two, simultaneously indicating that the two of them had some privacy for now, as well as that she had a very good idea just what it was that Allen was so worried about.
"Oh my god, am I that obvious?" he quietly panicked.
"Nah, only shows a little, I'd say. It's more of a… a gift I have, being highly tuned-in to people's feelings." More like a curse, at times, she kept to herself. "Can't help it, really. If you want to talk, I'm happy to listen, you know. People tell me I'm a good listener."
"Yeah?" he replied, apparently surprised.
"Uh huh," she smiled reassuringly, hopeful she can help him even just a little bit.
oOoOo
Lenalee had been watching Allen and Kanda for some time, and just couldn't figure it out. "I swear those two are spending more and more time together. It's one of the world's greatest mysteries, how they can fight so much yet bond so well!"
"At least Lavi's been enjoying it," Imelda offered with a laugh.
"That Lavi," she sighed, kicking her bare legs slowly and experimentally under soothing hot bathwater. "I can't get over how he always…"
"How he always… what?" Imelda prompted from her end of the grand communal bath. Both were seated so the water reached their necks, and she took her arm off the knee-high bath wall, letting her head sink back to rest directly on that flat, slick tiled surface instead. Cushioned by tight-coiled hair.
"You know—" Lenalee leaned forward conspiratorially, one elbow on the wall, "The way he was after every woman in sight last night, as usual."
She leaned back again now, rolling her eyes for effect.
"Mmmhmm…" Imelda hummed contemplatively; even challengingly, it seemed. "Well it appeared that way but there were other women there that he never talked to."
"There were some elderly women— outside of his professed age range— but that young serving girl— remember her?"
Imelda nodded.
"You're right he didn't say anything to her except to order drinks… but he was kinda checking her out a lot and giving her these big old smiles whenever she walked by."
"I suppose he was."
"And then there was the whole bathing with the 'ladies' thing, last night. I mean he was only joking but if he thought he had a chance he probably would try to join us," she added cautiously.
"I imagine so," Imelda agreed, visibly amused.
"I'm glad you take it so well! I'm always afraid he's going to offend any new girls we meet while we're out on a job…"
"It's possible, yet I don't think he's unprepared for it," Imelda smiled reassuringly. "It doesn't bother you, right? I don't really mind it either."
"Really?" Lenalee began excitedly, rewrapping the damp towel around her wet hair with great vigour. Was it possible there was another young woman at the Order who didn't care so much about whether she behaved like a proper lady?
"Nah. I mean sure he says some pretty outrageous things at times, and his eyes certainly wander a lot, but I don't see why I should let such things affect me."
Oh my god, I love this girl! Lenalee decided excitedly, thrilled to find a kindred spirit."Maybe it's a reaction to my brother's overprotectiveness, or my history with the Church and how they've tried to… mould me… but you're right, it doesn't bother me."
"I can sort of relate. I was ripped from my birthplace as a small child— ended up growing up with some very strict nuns, on a completely different continent. You grew up at the Order from a very young age too, right?"
"Yeah. I thought… that only happened to Exorcists, though. I mean it sounds like you're a talented and highly valuable Finder, but why would they come get you when you were so young? Did they know about—"
"I was an Exorcist once," she cut in, and Lenalee's jaw dropped. There was a great deal of pain swirling within the young woman's dark eyes. "Like you, I was discovered very young."
"You were…" Lenalee was at a loss on how to proceed now. Purely out of wide-eyed empathy, she could feel the burn of tears threatening to well up at the sudden change in the girl before her.
"My innocence was 'Silence.' Equip type. Its main feature allowed me to freeze most akuma in place."
Even as she soaked in steamy bathwater, Lenalee felt an abrupt chill. What sudden emotionlessness to Imelda's words! She hadn't realized it before but the quiet Finder girl she'd known so far had radiated a great warmth and comforting air of approachability. Now, however, that person had gone cold rather than face the painful memory of whatever horrific experience brought her career in exorcism to an end.
"I was training to increase range and effectiveness when sent out on the mission where I lost it."
"Oh no that's terrible!" Lenalee was wholly unable to think of an adequate reply, and felt doubly awful for it. "I'm so sorry."
"It was… because of my own pride. But I wasn't the one who—" She must have been on the verge of saying something very important to her, but stopped as another couple of women finally entered the baths.
"Bonjour, mes filles," a kindly-looking grandmother called out, ambling along with the assistance of a younger woman— perhaps her adult daughter.
"Sorry we 'ave interrupted you, zis morning," the woman spoke in French-accented English; smiling apologetically. "Maman's art'ritis makes it difficult to choose 'er bath times."
Uncharacteristically for the girl Lenalee knew so far, Imelda froze momentarily, leaving Lenalee to answer for them both: "Ah no, no, it's fine. You're quite welcome here."
"Yes… please… carry on," Imelda agreed, her warmth already returning as she began to come back from her episode of traumatic reminiscence.
"Imelda," Lenalee began, seeking to change the subject now, "You said you don't mind Lavi ogling you, but what if he asked you out?"
"Huh? Oh well I guess I might try dating him once… but he's never going to ask me."
"Why do you say that? I think he really appreciates you. More than that serving girl, even."
"I'm flattered, Lenalee. But if you don't mind me saying so, I think you might be underestimating him."
"What makes you say that?"
"I hope you'll pardon me— you've known him longer than I have. It's just that the Don Juan act doesn't appear to me to be the real Lavi. I think his true feelings run deeper. Their flow is more constant."
"More constant? You're calling him faithful? As in, to one woman?"
"Yes. I am…" she smiled sadly.
Lenalee tilted her head in disbelief.
"And the woman in his heart isn't me."