Things were getting a bit busy around the time this was written....it's nice to be able to semi-regularly update this. Not much more to say really....except for men in uniform equal yes.

Disclaimer: Saya doesn't own the actors, just the script they're acting to.

Warnings: Rated M for sexual material en masse, and pedophilia, considering how both Cross and Tyki are much older than Allen.

6. Smoking

Allen walked calmly through the front gates of the manor, giving the gatekeeper, Kanda, an acknowledging nod as he did his best not to glare. Kanda didn't seem to feel the need to restrain himself even that much though, for he openly glared at his boss. Allen wondered if it would be appropriate to cut Kanda's pay for disrespecting his superiors.

Really, he had no idea why Kanda hated him so much! He had simply hated Allen from the moment they'd first laid eyes on each other, five years earlier. Allen remembered it perfectly; Lenalee had bumped into Kanda on the street, recognized him as someone from her primary school days, and asked her brother to help him get a job at the manor when she had learned he was looking for a way to make a living. Allen had been there when he'd been introduced to Mana, who had been the one in charge of employment at the time. Mana said he looked like a hard worker with potential and had him work under one of the guards, who was starting to get a bit too old for his job and was looking to retire soon. All Allen had done was smile at the boy from behind Mana, and Kanda had glared at him. It never did get better after that.

The silent exchange was over quickly enough, as Allen kept a brisk pace. When he made it inside, he found he really didn't have time to spare, and ran to the kitchen quickly to prepare the master's tonic before he woke.

000

Cross was more than a little relieved when Allen came back that day, smelling wonderfully like the soap he'd used the night before, and not smoke. That first time he'd come back smelling like someone else's smoke had annoyed Cross a little more than he had realized. Perhaps he really had overreacted to that? Maybe someone who happened to smoke a different brand than himself had been taking the same route as Allen that day? Or maybe the boy had been attacked that day by someone who smoked? In that case, it was only natural that Allen wouldn't say anything about it, he did so hate to make Cross worry. Of course, it wasn't as though he didn't know that Allen was accosted so often, things like that had been happening to him since even before Mana died. Cross and Mana had made Allen learn a few different martial arts so he could defend himself. Allen took to fighting like a natural...

Cross was in a pretty good mood, now that he had been relieved of his worry. Feeling certain of his position in Allen's heart was so comforting.

Cross pulled Allen back to him before the boy could stray too far from his bedside. Allen leaned back against his chest, as one of Cross' arms wound about the boy's waist. He kissed Allen's cheek repeatedly, and the younger boy laughed lightly at the slightly scratchy feeling of Cross' chin hairs.

"Are you in a good mood today, Master?" Allen asked, though it sounded a bit more like a statement than a question. Was he in a good mood? Of course he was in a good mood! Cross nodded against Allen's cheek.

"Very much so. Do you know what would make this morning better?" Cross asked, thinking that some fine wine would complement his mood perfectly. He knew Allen would catch his drift, the boy always did.

"Staying sober until lunch, at least?" Allen offered, denying Cross his liquor in a roundabout way. Cross hadn't had that much to drink the night before, so he hardly had a hangover, and to Cross it felt like nothing more than a common headache, but Allen would still prefer it if his master abstained from alcohol for at least a few hours. Drinking so much really couldn't be healthy.

Cross sighed, thinking that Allen never let him have his fun, though at the same time knowing that the boy was just looking out for him.

"I'll prepare a bottle from a good year for your lunch, so don't get too disappointed," Allen soothed, knowing that Cross would probably be perfectly fine by the time he was finished bathing.

Cross nodded his consent, though he wondered why he let Allen make certain decisions for him when he could simply demand some good liquor. Maybe it was because Allen knew what was best for him better than he did, and he knew it? Or maybe it was because he lorded over Allen enough in their personal life, so the least he could do was not act too overly-spoiled in his daily life? Not to say he wasn't spoiled enough as it was, but he was only about as bad as the average nobleman, or so he thought.

Cross moved himself out of bed and headed toward his bath, ready to spend the day without worries.

000

Without realizing it, meeting Tyki had become almost a regular occurrence for Allen, they saw each other nearly every day. Neither of them thought much of it, both just treated it as a coincidence that the paths they walked daily crossed. That's all it was, most likely, it was probably only by chance that they started to see each other so often after just getting acquainted. It seemed natural that people who knew each other would at least greet each other and chat if they had the time. And well, Tyki always had enough time to talk, and being the kind soul he was, often helped Allen with his errands to make more time for friendly conversation. Allen couldn't help but think that if he hadn't been saved from those ruffians that day one, two, three months before, he would've missed out on meeting a very kind and interesting person.

Even though they saw each other often enough, they still acted as though they didn't know each other whenever they met anywhere other than town. At parties and noble gatherings, Allen acted as though he couldn't see him, and Tyki took the boy's lead by not acknowledging him, and in the few times he'd seen Lavi since that first meeting, Allen had never said anything about it. Allen himself was starting to wonder why he needed to keep their knowing each other a secret, it wasn't like he wasn't allowed to have friends, and as a matter of fact he was friendly with almost everyone who worked at the manor. Maybe he was just worried because this friend wasn't under Master Cross' employ? Or because he felt it would just plain annoy Cross? That was plenty possible. Allen decided he was being foolish about the whole thing, and while there was no reason to keep it a secret, there was no reason to broadcast it either.

000

It was yet another one of those days, where Allen lost track of time and ended up in a panic, worried he'd be late in returning home. Tyki had realized by now that when Allen started panicking, it was indeed because he was going to be late, though Allen had never expressly said that. Tyki seemed oddly observant to Allen, but he brushed it off as simply being Tyki's way; he never gave a thought to the idea that maybe Tyki could just be unusually observant of him. Tyki quickly got a little coach for them, and while Allen insisted that he didn't have to, he thanked Tyki profusely for it all the while. This was just another routine by now.

"It's somewhat strange, how a person as punctual as yourself can lose track of the time so easily," Tyki commented, as he helped Allen into the passenger cabin. Allen gave a half-hearted huff of embarrassment.

"It just seems like I have more time now, for some reason." 'Because I don't have to worry about being accosted anymore.' Allen had to admit, he was thankful that no one seemed to want to come up against Tyki, whether it was because he was respected or feared Allen didn't know nor did he particularly care. What was convenient was convenient, right?

"Hm, well I suppose you'll just have to start remembering how much time you really have." Tyki stomped out his cigarette before entering the cabin himself and shutting the door. Allen found it curious how after that first time, Tyki made a point of not smoking when they shared a cab. Allen had said he was fine with it, but Tyki was simply too courteous to take advantage of Allen's kindness, and had refrained from smoking after that first time. Allen, though he didn't want to say anything about it aloud, was very thankful for this, it seemed like the distinct smell of Tyki's brand only really clung to him when they were in an enclosed space like this. He'd also recently realized that Tyki had been going out of his way to keep Allen out of his line of smoke. Allen was grateful for that too.

"Though I never really did understand why people smoke..." Allen murmured to himself off-handedly. Maybe it was childish of him to not understand, he had always wondered about it, but never felt the urge to do any research on the matter. He wondered why people drank too, and invested time and money into other destructive habits, but he doubted he'd ever get a satisfying answer if he ever asked anyone about those things.

Tyki heard Allen's comment, and gave the boy a questioning glance, wondering where that had come from. Still, despite how Allen had obviously been talking to himself, Tyki decided he'd answer the boy's unasked question to the best of his ability.

"People smoke because they make a mistake. They either make the mistake of trying it in the first place, or they start smoking as a way to relieve themselves of their other problems for a while. Do that long enough though, and anyone would get hooked. Then it becomes the problem, I suppose." Tyki couldn't think of a much better answer than that. It was true enough, for him anyway. He'd spent most of his teen years not smoking, but then the moment he had officially taken the title of Earl, he felt the need to do something to take the weight of his family's expectations off his shoulders. Cigarettes just happened to be there, and they happened to work at the time. Then when he realized he could handle things on his own and didn't need that crutch anymore, he found he couldn't put them down.

Allen gave a small squeak when he realized Tyki was giving him the answer to a question he hadn't meant to pose. He felt like a bit of a jerk, saying something like that, after all, it certainly wasn't his place to comment on anyone else's lifestyle or habits. Even as he felt guilty for asking, he also felt saddened by the answer he was given.

"Oh, well that's... rather sad. It's worrying to see people you care about doing self-destructive things. I ... can't help but be troubled by it sometimes... I mean- You do know that it ruins your mouth and breath, right? And if you've been smoking since you were what? 17? 18? And your 26 now, that's nearly ten years worth the tar in your lungs. Not to mention the problems it causes for your heart and memory..." In a split second, Allen had gone from sounding sincerely, adorably, maddeningly concerned to lecturing. It seemed like such a natural transition for Allen that Tyki didn't even question it. He didn't have to either, for Allen had caught himself in the middle of his rant.

"I-I'm so sorry! I honestly didn't mean to badger you this way... How rude of me. I'm sorry, really! It's just... I kind of go through a conversation like this with someone close to me often, and ended up going on a tangent like I always do...I'm sorry, I know it's troublesome to listen to." Tyki blinked once, then twice, before shaking his head.

"No, no, it's quite all right. I'm flattered you care enough to lecture me." Tyki couldn't think of much more to say than that, despite his usually talkative nature. Allen had taken him so off-guard with that saintly worried expression of his, his sincere concern troubled Tyki more than the ranting did, he couldn't stand to think that he'd made such a lovely and pure creature worry over him. He was suddenly seized with the urge to throw his cigarettes out the window. Tyki was amazed to hear that there was a person on this earth that could still stand to smoke with a clear conscience after having Allen say something like that to them. And to be able to withstand the boy doing that repeatedly without swearing off every drug under the sun! Goodness, what kind of person could do that?

"And I suppose whoever you usually say that to must feel quite cared for, too." At this, Allen looked down at his hands, which were politely folded in his lap. His lips curved into an odd, almost shy smile, and his lowered eyes, though they seemed focused on his lap, held the far-off gaze of one whose eyes weren't seeing what was before them, but instead gazing lovingly at a dear face.

"Yes...well, I hope they do. That person is very important to me." Tyki wasn't sure what to do with that information, or if Allen even realized he was speaking still. Part of his mind wanted to dwell on it, and become jealous and miserable over it. He also felt the urge to pry and ask about this person, who Allen deemed worthy of his care and concern. But, knowing it was not his place to ask or feel any of that, he simply nodded and patted the boy's shoulder reassuringly.

"I'm sure they know you do, it's quite obvious you care," he said, with a gentle smile.

'At least my tongue doesn't betray me when my own mind does!' Tyki continued to kick himself around in his head, berating himself for his weakness and for having an unholy and illegal attraction to a 15-year-old boy.

Allen blushed at Tyki's reassurance, embarrassed to hear that he was so obvious. Before the impending awkwardness of the situation could crash down on them, the carriage pulled to a stop. Allen descended the steps to the cab slowly, before turning back to face Tyki.

"Thank you Tyki, I'll see you around," he said, with a smile that held all the worlds' innocence and sincerity. Tyki felt most unworthy of the honor.

000

Komui was walking toward the front gates of the manor, ready to go on a little afternoon stroll of his own, get some exercise, breathe in some fresh air, and all that. It was close to the time Allen usually got home, so he was looking forward to a hello and maybe a little bit of chit-chat, if Allen got home early. Allen was such a pleasant child, it was really difficult to not look forward to seeing him. He was a bit like a younger brother to Komui, and quite possibly the only person he hadn't tried to kill for asking if he could marry Lenalee (granted that at the time, the two of them had been maybe six or seven, and seeing the two blushing children with little flower rings on was probably the cutest thing Komui had ever seen, and therefore he couldn't actually bring himself to harm the boy. He did later cry over the thought of his dear Lenalee being taken away from him though).

He didn't, however, expect Allen to arrive before the gate in a carriage, though it wasn't surprising to find that Allen would use one to arrive home on time. Still, as normal as that would've been, he couldn't imagine that it would be normal under any circumstances for Allen to be riding with another man, or that he'd be blushing a fair shade of pink when he left the cab. Komui couldn't see the man's face clearly, but he looked to be a good deal taller than Allen. The white haired boy turned back to say something to the other passenger, and Komui unconsciously moved forward. All he caught of what Allen said though was: "I'll see you around."

Suspicious. How very, very suspicious. Not that Komui wasn't all for the idea of Allen having friends outside the manor, and maybe, eventually, standing up against Cross' control of him, but Komui also worried about how that would negatively affect the master's mental security if that were to happen. It was hard to believe that Cross' confidence could be shaken so easily, but when it came to the few people he actually cared for, even things like this could have a huge effect.

The cab door closed, and it took off, leaving Allen behind to turn around and realize that Komui had just borne witness to what had just happened.

"Oh! Good morning, Komui. It's nice to see you out of the lab, for once," Allen greeted, sounding not the least bit worried about Komui's having seen him get out of a carriage that had a strange man in it. Komui figured that meant it mustn't have been very important, but he still had to ask about it.

"Who was that?" His tone wasn't accusing, just curious.

"Huh? Oh, that was just a friend of mine I bumped into on the way here, who offered me a ride home. Why do you ask?" Komui shrugged to the question, deciding that it really wasn't anything suspicious and that he had no reason to care besides.

"Just curious, it seems a bit unusual of you, is all." Allen just smiled awkwardly, as if to ask, "Whatever makes you say that?"

"Well, I suppose I'll see you later Komui, I have to get inside before Master Cross needs to be woken up!" Allen said cheerfully, with a hint of panic as he looked at his watch and saw he only had about 8 minutes to get everything together. Komui nodded with a smile in lieu of a farewell, and the two parted ways as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

However, they both forgot about the guard who'd watched the entire thing, and whose thoughts echoed Komui's earlier ones. How suspicious indeed.

000

Tyki sighed as he poked a half-empty cigarette box around the surface of the desk in his study.

"Something the matter, Master Tyki?" Lavi asked, noticing the Earl's downcast mood as he cleaned the room.

"Say, Lavi, what do you think about smoking?" Tyki asked, after maybe two hours of pondering the subject. He'd gotten home a while before, had his tea and thought over his decision to start smoking. Why did it feel like he'd been committing a crime all of these years? One scolding from Allen, and suddenly he felt much dirtier than he ever had.

'This is truly ridiculous! So maybe I'm just a bit infatuated with the boy, but I simply can't brood over every word he says like this! It's like he's controlling me without even meaning to! It's manipulative I say, downright manipulative!' Tyki had thought earlier, before rebelliously lighting a cigarette. But despite his determination not to let the memory of that innocently worried face control his actions, he couldn't stand to keep the cancer stick between his lips for more than a breath before taking it away from his mouth and jabbing the tip into a near-by ashtray.

Not quite sure what to do with himself, or how long he could go on like this before he physically needed a cigarette, Tyki had chosen to seek out the counsel of his butler, hence the odd question he had posed.

"What do I think about smoking?" Lavi repeated, giving Tyki a skeptic glance, before putting his finger to his lower lip in a look of thoughtfulness. "Well, nothing really. I mean, a lot of people smoke, you smoke, it's just a fact of life, I guess. Never really thought much about it," Lavi said honestly, before continuing his work, He was currently reorganizing the books in Tyki's study, for the master had a bad habit of putting things back in the wrong places when he was thinking about something. He'd been coming home in this pondering mood more and more lately, so order had all but been destroyed in the study now. Lavi appreciated Tyki's efforts to try and make things easier for Lavi by cleaning up after himself, but honestly, Lavi would prefer it if the master just left the books he skimmed through in a pile somewhere, rather than trying to put them away himself while so distracted.

Tyki sighed at Lavi's response, wondering why he'd expected anything else from the honest butler, or if he'd had any expectations at all. Really, had he thought he'd get a response like Allen's from Lavi? The redhead and Allen may have been friends, but they were far from being similar, despite their loyalty to their respective houses and masters. Tyki would know, for he'd known Lavi for most of the young man's life. Lavi had been the grandson of the Mikk's last family butler, and had been left in his predecessor's care when his parents ran off somewhere. Since birth he'd been groomed to take over the position, and as far as he knew his parents had not abandoned him, but had died in an accident.

As children they had often played together; it was rather endearing the way Lavi had once followed him around like a little duckling. Of course, even back then Lavi's eyes had held a glint of mischief; he had his own personal brand of childish innocence back then. Tyki had found that the boy's little glint had grown during the years he'd been away, living as a commoner. It hadn't been that long after his return home though when Lavi had, for some reason, lost that little light for a while. Tyki never asked about that period of time or its cause, feeling it wasn't his place to pry.

He suspected though, that it had something to do with the young schoolmate Lavi had brought home once, one with pretty long black hair who'd only come over that one time. Tyki had never seen that child again after that spring day, but what he'd seen that afternoon made it very clear that Lavi and that child had been very close, as close as best friends could be, if not closer.

Tyki faintly wondered what happened to that child, anyway. Maybe the two had fought and simply never got over it, the way children so often do? Maybe the kid had died of some disease or other, these weren't the cleanest of times, and the child had looked like a bit of an urchin, too. Maybe they'd just lost contact after primary school, who knew? Well, Lavi did, obviously, but Tyki wouldn't feel right asking about it and opening an old wound that might still cause the boy pain.

Never mind Lavi's private affairs, they hardly have to do with the matter at hand...

The current problem was not Lavi's long-lost best friend, it was how long Tyki could stare down his pack of cigarettes before he either threw them out a window or smoked them all at once. Sighing yet again at this most inconvenient development, Tyki decided that maybe it was about time he cut down on his nicotine intake.

Lavi looked over at Tyki with concern, wondering about his master's strange behavior. Since when did Tyki bother to ask about such trivial matters? And why had his master not smoked more than one cigarette since he came home? And on a broader scale, why had the master been acting so oddly as of late? Some days he'd come home from his daily walk much happier than usual, much happier than someone who'd simply taken a walk should be, and other days he'd come home with a furrowed brow and a look of intense concentration. What could be happening, during those morning strolls through London town? What was Tyki doing every day that was causing him to act so unusually? Maybe Lavi would have to investigate the matter?

This chapter was basically meant to show just how much of a hold Allen has on Tyki, and how quickly he achieved that. At this point, they've met far more than just three times, and Tyki's falling a lot harder than he wants to admit. Also, take note of all the exchanges and people mentioned in this chapter, it's more important than it seems!