Ch7
_________There is always something better!_____________
"A powerful earthquake in the mountainous central Italy knocked down whole blocks of building early Monday as the residents…"
Allen shifted uncomfortably in the leather sofa. It was three o'clock and he wanted to screech from boredom. The TV delivered the latest news with the monotony that would make an amoeba a Formula one winner. Sigh… What was he supposed to do in this house, all alone?
He started to bang his legs, just for the sake of feeling the sharp margin biting his heel. Huh, Kanda didn't have plants in the house. Or a cat. Not even a goldfish. He started jumping up and down on the sofa, making it fart. This house, the furniture, the stylish and obviously well designed apartment were expense. Well, that's expected. Kanda's a lawyer, right? Lawyers are supposed to be rich, right? He stopped in the middle of the jump, slightly dizzy and sick. Ugh, he jumped too much.
He plopped back in the sofa, stuffing his face in the leathered winkles. He wanted to be rich. He wanted to be able to realize his dreams; he wanted the healthy living style Kanda could afford. Crap… he won't stay here forever; even a total idiot could realize that. What will he do after? He poked his cheek, bored and depressed. Gah….is there nothing he could do? His eyes fell on the huge bag mountain.
Ideas, huh?
The next second he was gutting the biggest bag, spreading its contents on the white carpet. This was the bag from the book shop, the last one they bought.
Books. He had never, never seen so many colorful, pretty books. He silently fell on the carpet, unable to move. He slowly reached for one of them, white with glossy covers. There was a naked man drawn on it. No, he wasn't naked, he just didn't have skin. Huh. A..Ana…Crap, how is this read? The only alphabet Mana taught him was a series of straight lines, the pattern standing for words. Was this another system of writing? He opened the book, gasping at the multicolored pictured; ribs and brain, the structure of the eye. Everything was so…Allen cringed. He wouldn't want to eat after reading this book. Not that he could read it. Huh, what about this one?
_____
The door yelled loudly, urging the inhabitant on the house to open it. Allen moaned and turned on the other side. His head was propped on the Anatomy book, saliva trailing back to his lips. The white carpet, fluffy and clean, was now warmed by the small body. He slept curled into a ball, with a bunch of music scores gripped to his chest. A bubble of snot quietly inflated and deflated, creating a quite precise measurer of Allen's breath rhythm.
The door was crying now with a huge desire to relieve itself. Then someone banged. Hard, hostile.
Allen sat up, half asleep. He swabbed his eyes, the mucus balloon popping. A yawn made him look like a tired cat. He half-heartedly stumbled toward the violated door, hitting his toes at least twice.
"W-who..yawnn..Who is it?"
"Allen-chan? Ya're there? It's me! Tha great hero an'-" The door was opened and Lavi was let inside.
"Hyaa~ Yuu-can left ya alone, did'n 'e? Ya poo' ol' fella-"
"Lavi san, what are you doing here?" Allen watched him with the seriousness of the third piglet that just faced the wolf. Lavi beamed, taking off his shoes.
"Yuu-chan's home? Nah, he woulda sensed me before ya." He unceremoniously entered the kitchen, plopping down on the high seat near the bar.
"What're those?' he hastily took a hold of the papers that Allen was holding. Allen pouted, not too impressed with the man's politeness.
'Ahh, these are scores! Do ya know how ya make music?" he smiled, returning the paper. Allen stiffed. He threw a glance at the papers.
"M-make music?!? H-how?" Lavi's only eye twitched.
"Wha' do ya mean, how? Ya take the scores, now, then ya, like, play!" Catching Allen's confused glance he smiled widely.
"Tell ya what, kid. Come with me, I'll show ya something real good." He jumped up, filled with a strange enthusiasm. Allen suspiciously glared.
"I can't go," he puffed his cheeks. "I promised Kanda-san that I will not leave the house." Lavi, spun around, resembling a small red devil.
"But he doesn' have ta know, ya know," he started to fumble the child's head. Allen closed his eyes, cringing.
"Lavi-saaan, stop it!" He whined, fluttering his hands. Lavi grabbed him in a headlock, messing up his hair completely. He really resembled a white dandelion, waiting to be taken by wind.
"Well, what are ya waitin' for? Let's go!!!!" Lavi jumped toward the door, diving into the snickers.
"To make music!!!!" Allen giggled, but did not move.
"I told you, Lavi-san, I can't go." He picked up the scores, scattered on the floor. He lifted his head, catching Lavi's eyes. The man watched him gravely.
'Did Yuu threaten ya?' Allen raised his brows. Threaten?
"No, he did not. I promised I'll stay." Lavi's lips twitched, his ever-sunny smile fading. He watched the boy with some sadness in his eye. Allen turned around, confused, feeling that he hurt the man.
"Lavi-san, how about a cup of tea and blueberry pie?"
_____
The tea was good. The pie was good. The view was good. His life was good. The cup clinked, touching gently the table.
"Lavi-san, can I ask you something personal?" Lavi leaned on the boy, awaken from his "good" state.
"Yah, sure! What do ya wanna know?" Allen blushed, amazed at his own insensibility.
"H-how did you lose your eye?" Lavi stiffed. Allen felt a snake biting his stomach. "You don't have to answer, Lavi-san! I…I just was wondering." He mumbled, mentally kicking his own ass. The answer came unexpectedly serene. No, it was simply cold.
"Kanda took it." Lavi's face was solemn; he brought his cup of tea to the lips. A pair of huge gray eyes gazed unblinking, horrified. The boy moved his lips like in a silent movie.
"I –I don't believe you." He whispered, eyes still. Lavi put the cup down. It resonated with a crystalline clincket.
"Have ya ever had a friend, a friend so devoted tha' would give up sumethin' even more precious than 'is own life?" Allen recoiled, a sudden jolt of pain twisting his arm.
"I thought I did," he whispered. "I thought I did, but it was all a lie." Lavi closed his eye, pleased for some unidentified reason.
"I have one." He paused, looking curiously into his cup. He searched for a piece of cold in there. Something made the tea icy. He found none. The tea was carefully spilled into the sink. He watched it go down the drain, taking away a piece of old crumpled paper.
'If ya ever find one, don't let go, ever, even if it costs your life." He softly smiled, nodding to a hidden rhythm.
"It cost me my eye," he chuckled, "and believe me, it wasn't a pretty sight." Allen gulped. This was too much.
"You mean Kanda-"
"Yuu is a very fragile man, Allen-chan. He is one of those people called 'idealists.' He is very naïve too, but hates to admit it." Lavi laughed, sounding a bit inappropriately. It seems that he felt it too, because the next moment he coughed to clear his throat, looking sideways.
"And the story'll have to wait, kid. Sorry!!" he jumped up, almost spilling the second cup of tea.
"Tell ya what." He sat in front of Allen, meeting his eye level. "I'll call Yuu and talk to 'im. Then we'll go." The phone was promptly dragged and used.
Lavi frowned.
"But Yuu-chan~!! We both want! Wha'? wha' didja say? Alle~n is it? 'K, 'k, here 'e comes!" The phone was ceremoniously tossed to Allen. He almost dropped it.
"H-hello? Kanda-san?" On the other end somebody was yelling in the background while Kanda was shutting them up.
"Kanda-san?"
"Oi, bean sprout, what's going on in there? Why the hell is Lavi there?" He was irritated. Very. "Did you call the idiot?"
"N-no sir, I didn't call him!" Lavi's face became sour. "Allen-chan~!!" he whined, and then smirking, glided a warm hand near his neck. "Lavi-san, hehe, sto-hahaha!!"
The phone was on the floor, still breathing. Kanda was on the other side, yelling obscenities. He could hear Allen giggling, Lavi's laughter, swift movements and he slammed the phone. The next second he was in the car. And the car was in the pretty expensive parking space on the fourth floor, discount used. The elevator stopped in front of the ap. ****. Kanda was in front of the ap. ****. The door was slammed down. Kanda stood on the door.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE??????!!!!!"
_____
"Scores?" Kanda was on the sofa now. Lavi and Allen were sitting in front of him on the knees, praying to God, Buddha and Kanda's conscience. The Big Three.
"Y-yeah, scores…" Allen swallowed a hard lump in his throat. This man was scary. Very scary. Lavi glanced at him, agreeing.
"Yu-chan, I wanted to show Allen to that teacher, ya know, from the twentieth floor? The crazy one ya know? Ya know him, doncha?" Allen shifted, disturbed. A mad music teacher? He'll pass. He quivered when Kanda nodded.
"An' sweet li'le Allen-chan here refuuuuused!! He said ya'll fry 'im if he comes out of the toilet!" Allen blushed at the blatant lie. Lavi was squealing with laughter, rolling on the floor.
"I didn't! I said I promised! Gahh! Bloody liar!!" The boy grabbed the nearby book and started smacking the redhead, like a cockroach. Lavi avoided the hits, squirming and somehow managing to muffle the brat with a coat. Kanda's coat.
Its owner sat silent, ignoring --or at least looking like it, the fools.
Just for a few seconds.
Then Lavi realized that he has an appointment in the hospital, possibly in ER, so he can't stay longer. He left, with his arms extended, for his only eye was inflated and green.
_____
The silence was active again, aborting any dialogue. It wanted to live for itself, dammit!
The clock struck seven. It was an old piece of art, more art than usefulness. It was running two hours faster. Allen got up from his embarrassing (he thought) position and started picking up the books. Kanda disappeared somewhere in the bathroom; the murmur of the shower present, deep and refreshing. The scores lied abandoned under the couch.
The boy picked up the ANAsomething book and paged it. It was full of organs and bones and other bloody-
"Anatomy. Can't you read, brat?" Allen jumped up and hit the top of his head. Kanda paced away, cradling his chin. Damn, it hurts.
"I-I can!" Kanda turned back, tilting his head with a badly hidden curiosity.
"I can read AND write! But not this kind of letters!" Kanda chuckled. Damn brat. He was entertaining.
"What kind of letters?" Allen eagerly approached the table, bringing a pen and a piece of paper. He started drawing lines, circles, uniting them in a strange pattern. Kanda frowned. He had seen these somewhere. Allen lifted his head, happily staring in the older man's frowned face.
"See? This is what Mana taught me!" He smiled sadly lowering his face. "And then he said I should never, never show this to anyone. Then he…left." Kanda picked up the paper, folding it.
"What does it say?" Allen gaped at the man; not really getting what he was referring to, then blushed.
"Kanda, Kanda Yuu. It is your name, Kanda-san." He murmured quietly, poking the tips of his fingers.
"I see." He opened the fridge, taking out iced tea. The scent of bergamot made the boy relax. It was so well known it hurt. It was part of Kanda.
"..-san.." Kanda did not turn around. There was no need. He knew that behind him that small skinny boy poked his fingers and was counting the toes.
"What is it, brat?" The response was louder this time.
"A-about my dream…"
"What about your dream?"
"I couldn't find it. I know what I want to do now, but for the future…I have no idea." He bowed Japanese style. "I'm sorry to disappoint you!" he uses the phrase so often, that brat.
"Well, what did you find?" Allen silently pointed at the scores.
"Lavi told me that that thing makes music. I want to make music."
"Music, eh…" Kanda's half lidded eyes laid on Allen's white top.
"That's a nice dream…"
____
I. AM. DEAD!!!!! I have an exam tomorrow! At TECH MATH! THE EVILEST SUBJECT EVER!!!! And I'm still here! WHY? WHY?