You're not perfect

I'm not perfect

Come, let's be imperfect together!

To say that the following days were torturing was an understatement. Allen was not on talking (or even seeing) terms with Lavi, the both of them acutely ignoring and avoiding each other like demon and angel. The Black Order clan were in a mess; Lavi mercilessly ordering them to return to the demon castle without explanation or reason. They were hesitant to leave the church, since the gracious church was now considered their second home. Only by the intercession of Bookman himself that the demon clan was able to stay. The older demon was not going to leave another magnificent library unread just to please the petulant Demon Lord again. So the demon clan had to put up with the moodiness of Lavi the whole time from sunrise to sunset. They were unused to this Lavi's degree of depression, since the source of his gloom was Allen Walker himself.

If the demon clan was uncomfortable with their Demon Lord's condition, then the humans were at a panicky state. They didn't know what had happened, but the church's main dream-couple were not acting their normal selves. They were feeling the brunt end of the Haunting War whenever and wherever they were. Allen's cool aura was now undeniably cold, like an angry wind on a rainy day. The altar boys swore that it took longer for them to light the incense now with the silent Allen around them. Lavi was no better off; his ever-constant sharp wings frightened the little children away and his steaming-hot aura was too much for mere humans to handle. Even when he wasn't in his Demon Lord form, Lavi's curtain of darkness continued to encircle the area.

Lavi didn't care whether he had just made another stupid human faint due to heat stroke. He spent his days disappearing around the church grounds without interacting with anyone at all, but the nights were of a different matter. The sisters and brothers who slept in the church swore that they heard angry screams coming from the hilltops. There were crashes of some sorts, something similar to boulders breaking and trees creaking.

When they complained to Komui in terror, the second-in-commander demon could only shook his head sadly because he knew that he couldn't do a darn thing. How was he to explain that the Demon Lord was releasing his frustrations every night at those hilltops? Komui had tried to reason things out, but only got the cold shoulder in return and a fake smile from Lavi. He knew that the Demon Lord felt conflicted with himself. So to burn out his confusing feelings, Lavi retreated to nature during the nights because he said he "couldn't stay still and doesn't feel like sleeping". It was a pitiful sight indeed, to see a grand Demon Lord who is incapable of sleep.

I can't sleep at all! Allen whined inwardly as he tossed and turned for the upteenth time of the night. His wings ruffled in agitation but Allen knew not why. His body felt restless as if he had some unfinished business of the day that needs to be cleared up ASAP. For some unknown reason, his comfortable bed looked too big and his homey room felt too lonely as he sat up in sighing defeat. Before he Fell from Heaven, he was always sleeping with his brethren. Tyki and Rhode would cuddle up with him as their wings became their security blankets for the night. Then, when he came to his church, it was always nighttime with Father Bak. The father's solid body was like an anchor for him during the first days after the Falling. But now as he lay on the bed alone for the first time, Allen felt like his spirit was missing a crucial puzzle piece. The answer came not a second later. Lavi...

Before the next morning mass started, a blushing sister came forward to Allen, who was straitening his white gloves with an expressionless face and messed up white wings, "Excuse me, Saint Allen?" She whispered lowly, afraid that their patron saint would snap at her.

But Allen only smiled tiredly as he turned to greet the sister politely, "good morning, sister. Is something wrong?"

The sister pointed at his mass robes, "y-your clothes, Saint Allen... You're wearing them upside down,"

True to her word, Allen's mitre was on the wrong way and his cassock was worn inside out. There were no rose-red shoulder guards on his shoulders and his wings were devoid of any usual tinkling bells. Allen felt ashamed as he apologised to the sister and Father Bak.

Father Bak only shook his head in understanding as he pushed Allen away from the processional line, "go tend to the sheep today. They love grazing at the cliffs,"

Allen read the message perfectly: clear your head and come back only when you've got everything cleared up. Allen solemnly bowed to the Head Priest, only sparing a small blessing to the altar boys who bowed to him in return. He changed from his horribly-dressed outfit and into his work clothes. With calm resolution to face his problems, Allen led the flock of sheep to their favourite grazing spots.

While the sun was up high, Lavi was standing at the church pond's edge with his hammer unsheathed. Unsuspecting fish swam nearer to the side and Lavi was about to swing his mighty hammer when a chastising voice spoke from behind him, "you shouldn't do that. Allen will be angry,"

Lavi was so caught off guard that he slipped and fell into the pond, causing a ruckus to the peacefully-swimming fish. Lavi growled, his irritation was easily ignited these past few days without his consent, "what do you want, Krory? Miranda?"

The two elder demons watched calmly as their Demon Lord picked himself up from the pond with drenched black wings and damp hair. Krory spoke first, "what's going on, Lavi? Everyone's worried about you,"

Lavi clicked his tongue as he squeezed out water from his wife-beater, "It's nothing. Now that I know how Allen really thinks about me, I'm all ready to get out of this bloody church as soon as Bookman's done with his library,"

"Owh, how does he think about you?" Miranda enquired, thinking that it couldn't be that bad.

"Allen is.. Sick of me, hate me even. He doesn't care about me anymore,"

"What?" Krory gasped, coming closer with a stern look, "did Allen really say that?!"

Lavi stepped back when he was taken aback by Krory's angry words. The older demon had always kept his cool, so this was quite a change for him. Lavi frowned, trying to think back, "nooo, not.. Exactly.. Lenalee told me that Allen was tired of me,"

Miranda placed her hand on Krory's shoulder as she said calmly, "that doesn't sound like Allen.. He's always by your side, even when you tease or insult him. If Allen really was tired of you, don't you think he would've said something?"

"Nah.. Allen's not like that," Lavi murmured, "he won't tell me straight up because he thinks it'll hurt my feelings or something. But I can read his face as clear as I can read my mind... If he's happy, his eyes would make this starry thing. If he's angry-" Lavi flashbacked to when he saw Allen's red face in the middle of the church argument, "-his face would make such a painful expression.. And if he's sad about something he cared about..." Again, Lavi recalled Allen's broken face when he had announced that he was leaving the church, "... I don't know.. What to do… About it…"

Miranda and Krory waited patiently as Lavi bowed his head silently, his breathing coming in deep sighs. Lavi felt his chest gripping in icy rage, but it wasn't because of Allen this time. He looked at the knowing demon elders as he croaked out in surrender, "I screwed up really bad this time, huh?"

Krory crossed his arms, lifting a sassy eyebrow, "what do you think, Lavi?"

"How bad is it?"

"From a scale of one to Kanda-mode, Allen's in a Morning!Lenalee-level. At least,"

Lavi cringed. Morning!Lenalee-level is no laughing matter. She'd cut your head off, dance on your grave and resurrect you to become her slave zombie just to repeat the whole cycle all over again if you messed with her beauty sleep. Although Lavi thought that Allen would rather cut off his own head rather than the opponent's, he knew that even an angel like him had his limits. And I stupidly rampaged through it like it was nothing...

Lavi gave a hearty thank you to the demons before running to the church. He had to find Allen and talk this out, if Allen was willing to listen to hi-

"Can you at least stop talking and listen for once in your whole entire life?!" Lavi's memory about the fight didn't want to leave Lavi in peace. Lavi shook his head as if warding off bad thoughts. He ran ahead, looking for the missing angel who was still nowhere to be seen.

"Hey! Shifu, Rohfa! Have you seen Allen?" Lavi waved at the shepherds, strangely sitting down instead of guarding the sheep.

Shifu got up as he pointed to the back of the pen where most of the sheep were staying, "yes and no. He took the sheep to the cliffs this morning. Luckily the sheep know the way back, because Allen wasn't with them when they came down just now,"

"WHAT?" Lavi's wings popped out in shock.

"He must have stayed back to look for the black lamb. That babe is always wandering off from the flock, "another shepherd named Rikei explained, "I hope he comes back soon though.. It looks like it's going to rain really heavy tonight,"

Lavi realised that also when he looked up to the sky and saw ominous dark clouds surrounding the once bright sky. Shit...

Allen was practically shouting now as he braved the strong winds that attacked him all of a sudden, "Where are you?!" He called out for the lost black lamb, searching vainly around the clifftop. A drop of rain fell onto his hand, then another. In the next moment, Allen was drenched from head to toe as the heavy downpour came crashing down with thunder and its brother lightning.

A panicky "meeeeh!" made Allen run forwards even though he couldn't see anything except darkness and rain. A black shape jumped out of nowhere, scaring Allen enough to step backwards to the cliff's very edge. The lamb was absolutely terrified by the rain and thunder and lightning. Allen tried to hold onto the struggling lamb, "hold still!"

A sudden cracking sound shot through the sky. Before Allen knew what was happening, the cliff edge broke off and Allen fell down, the crashing sea roared its welcome.

"ALLEN! ALLEN!" Lavi screamed, his voice muffled by the booming thunder. He flew all around the cliffs with haste, ignoring the way his wings were getting heavier and damper by the pelting rain. He was about to give up when he saw a glimpse of white somewhere below the broken cliff edge.

"ALLEN!" Lavi shouted louder when he saw the angel covering the lost black lamb with his body. The angel was thankfully awake, since Allen looked up with a startled expression.

Allen tried to move, but the rock formation he fell on was limited in space. He rubbed his eyes blearily because he thought that the flying demon in front of him was a figment of his imagination. "Lavi?"

"Allen! Can you fly?" Lavi flapped his wings harder, the wetness already severing his stamina powers.

"I can't, Lavi! My wing..." Allen lifted his left wing to show his point. When he had fallen down, his left wing hardened just enough to break their fall, but not hard enough to prevent its own injury. Allen felt his wing bone being forced out of its socket. He bit his lip so hard that it bled, but Allen didn't know the difference between his blood and the rain now. He saw Lavi flying away after a moment, leaving an injured Allen to protect the lamb alone.

Suddenly, Allen felt somebody carrying him. "Come on. Up you get," Lavi piggybacked Allen between his black wings as he herded the lamb towards the rock grotto up ahead.

Safely inside the shelter, Lavi gently placed the angel down and sighed deeply, "alright. Lemme see the wing,"

He sat behind Allen, expertly touching and feeling around the injured wing with ease. He spotted the broken spot moments later, and he whispered into Allen's ear, "this might hurt, but I have to push your bone back into its place. Here, bite my wing if you want to," he moved his wing towards Allen's face.

But Allen didn't take the wing, nor did he say a word. He nodded to Lavi without turning around, giving the Demon Lord permission to heal him. He bit down on his worn lip instead as he heard Lavi counting down in a calculated tone,

"On the count of three: one-"

In an instant, he snapped the bone right into its place.

Taken aback, Allen bit his lip until the wound reopened itself, dripping blood onto his chin and hand. Lavi straightened the wounded wing as an apology, "sorry. But it's better that way. You would've tightened up otherwise,"

Allen still didn't say a word, too depressed to think anymore. He felt a calloused hand tilting his head to the side and heard the Demon Lord grunted as the thumb caressed his bleeding lip, "I told you to bite on my wing. They're hard to bleed, unlike your lip. What am I gonna do with you, Allen?" Lavi sighed.

"I don't know..." Allen mumbled, looking down to avoid staring into Lavi's bottle green eye, "...you tell me,"

There was a wordless moment until Lavi turned to hug Allen from the back, his black wings curling to cover both their bodies. With body contact, Lavi felt Allen's body shivering and he tightened his hold before planting his face into Allen's wet silver hair. "I'm sorry, Allen. I lost my temper and blame it on you. It's just that... When Lenalee told me that you said you were tired of me, I guess that's true,"

Allen stiffened, making Lavi's chest sting at the thought that Allen really was tired of him. Then, he was given a pleasant surprise when Allen turned around to face him directly. With hands on Lavi's shoulders and silver eyes ever unwavering in faith, he clarified, "I'm not tired of you. I said it was exhausting to take care of you, to protect you... But I believe that being with you is worth the effort. Don't you feel the same?"

Lavi had his mouth gaping like a fish for a while, before his face graced the first honest smile he had in weeks. He put his arms around Allen's waist to drag him closer, chest to chest as he confirmed, "I don't care how I feel; I'll trust you instead,"

He saw Allen's wings puffed up as the angel's face brightened the dark day, his silver eyes made that sparkly thing to show his happiness without actually speaking a word. Allen's beautiful face twisted Lavi's insides, his chest felt as though the angel physically stole his ability to breathe at all. Unthinkably, Lavi softly cupped Allen's cheek as he pulled the angel closer. He had an urge that he couldn't explain, but he wanted to satisfy his instinct to just k-

"Meeeeeh!"

The wet little lamb jumped in between angel and demon, attacked Lavi with some licks before settling down beside them like it did not just misbehave a few seconds ago. Allen laughed as Lavi wiped away the saliva, growling lowly at the now sleeping lamb. The angel on his lap yawned too, feeling as though the effects of those sleepless nights came back with a vengeance.

Lavi chuckled as he settled both of them down onto the rock ground, but making sure Allen was still lying on top of him to prevent hurting his wing any further. He caressed Allen's hair while humming in thoughtfulness, "you haven't been sleeping, huh? Didn't I tell you, little angels need to sleep to grow taller,"

Allen poked Lavi's side as mere revenge as he got himself comfortable on the warm and welcoming body. He felt Lavi's arms encircling his waist to keep him from falling, basking in the familiar scent of fire ash and old reading books that belonged solely to Lavi. Blinking dreamily, he slurred before succumbing to his long-awaited slumber, "can't sleep without you,"

Lavi waited till his best friend was fast asleep before he too let his guard down and confessed to the shadows, "yeah.. Me too, angel,"

As the duo slept through the rain because they couldn't travel in such terrible weathers, the typhoon condition didn't deter the travelling group from reaching their destination. Armed with the latest weapons and top-notched strategies, the Vatican came to answer the call of the council from the Church of Saint Allen Walker.

Sugar, spice and everything nice: main ingredients of a Laven pair! hahaha But the Vatican's coming into the stage, and they're not here for a simple holiday spree! Uh-oh~ And look! I found (caught) both Tyki and Lavi! Come on, boys, strut your stuff!

Well, standing side by side, both angel and demon are nearly of the same level. Since Tyki is a Judgement Knight, he has broad shoulders and strong muscles to rival the strength of Lavi the Demon Lord himself. In terms of offensive magic, they're also powerful in their own ways. But I believe the pointed differences between them is their experience level. Lavi may be seen as the younger one between the two while Tyki has more centuries of time behind him. As a result, Tyki's fighting style has a disciplined and precise signature as compared to the impulsive-instinct fighting Lavi. You can say that Lavi prefers fighting unrestricted rather than obeying rules and strategies. (Because of that, sometimes Tyki finds himself envying the free demons...)

Lavi also has some strong points over the great Saint Tyki Mikk; his magic powers comes from within himself whereas Tyki and the other angels have to depend on God and faith. This makes summoning his armour and taking first attacks easier than the angels. Lavi also believes that demons are faster in speed because their wings are lighter and more aerodynamic (but that's just Lavi's opinion. Remember, he thinks quite highly of himself and the demon species haha). Also, Lavi's magic powers are made to kill/slaughter/murder in the most merciless way possible as compared to the ever-forgiving and gracious angel powers. Everyone would know that whenever Lavi goes to battle, there's no doubt or hesitation that he is there to destroy (Because of that, sometimes Lavi is jealous that people and innocent beings approach angels without fear).

Nevertheless, our sweet Allen adores them both ^^

Well, that'll be all for now! I do hope you're enjoying this new chapter and the story so far! Again, your reviews and opinions are what made this story possible to go on. Rest assured that I still love them all because they motivated me to write more! Have a brilliant day! =D