Earning Your Love
Chapter Eight: An Unexpected Turn
Tyki's indigo eyes widened in shock at the new revelation, "Your ex; that guy?" he asked just to be sure he heard correctly.
Lavi nodded, "As much as I hate to admit it, but I promise you, it is over between us."
"If that's the case, then what did he want with you?"
"He was trying to get me to forgive him for all the crap he put me through, a whole lot of good that did him."
The ebony haired male pondered on his lover's words until a thought struck him. "Wait a minute; is he the one you were telling me about in Hawaii?"
"Yes that's him; it's unbelievable. Just when I am finally content with everything that happened, he has to waltz back into my life to try and screw it up." the emerald eyed male ranted as he plopped down on the cream colored leather sofa, placing his face in his palms in defeat. "Why did this have to happen now?!"
Tyki couldn't stand seeing his precious lover like this. He walked over to Lavi and took a seat next to him while wrapping his warm around the other's shoulders, pulling Lavi close to him. As the redhead snuggled in closer to him, Tyki ran his tanned hand through Lavi's hair in a soothing manner. "Lovely, you have to tell me what happened between you two."
"I…I rather not Tyki; it makes me mad just thinking about it. You even meeting that bastard is the last thing I ever expected to happen."
"I know he left you with some emotional scars, but things are different now." The ebony haired male pulled away from the smaller enough to meet his shimmering emerald eyes. "I really want to help you get through this pain, but I can't if you won't let me in. I feel helpless when I'm not able to sooth you from your pain. Don't let his betrayal keep you from talking to me about your past. I'll always be here to dry your tears and comfort you whenever you need me to."
Lavi could feel warm tears come to the brim of his eyes as a sharp pang hit his chest. Even though Neil hurt him, he was able to get a second chance with someone who only had eyes for him. He hated to bring up any painful memories, but he didn't want Tyki to feel like he was distancing himself from him. The young businessman was the best thing to ever happen to him. Tyki had done so much for him especially help him truly love someone again; he owed him that much in return. A small sigh escaped Lavi's mouth as he began to speak, "I'm sorry Tyki, it's not fair of me to keep this to myself and not talk to you about it. I'll tell you about what happened between Neil and me."
Once they returned home to their apartment and were settled in, Allen and Kanda got ready for bed. Allen was the first to get into his pajamas while Kanda was still getting dressed. He was sitting on their living room couch in deep thought about what happened at the restaurant. The silver eyed male was so preoccupied with his thoughts, he didn't notice Kanda come in. "There you are, Moyashi." The navy haired male noticed his lover didn't respond back to him. He walked over to Allen and called to him again, "Hey Moyashi."
His lover's call got Allen out of his thoughts before looking up and seeing Kanda hovering over him. "Oh hey Yuu-kun, did you say something?"
The onyx eyed male sighed before taking a seat next to his Moyashi on the couch. "I was trying to get your attention, but you didn't hear me."
"Oh I'm sorry about that; I was just thinking about something."
"Is it about that bastard Neil showing up at the restaurant?"
Allen nodded, "Yeah; can you believe that guy, Yuu-kun?! It's bad enough he broke Lavi's heart, but now he's trying to worm his way back into his life!"
"I agree; he's so conceited. Maybe I should've let you beat him to death that night." Kanda said bluntly.
"All I know is, if he tries to hurt Lavi again, he'll be sorry. I refuse to watch Lavi get hurt again especially not after he's finally moving on."
"Don't worry Moyashi, I know the usage and he won't fall for anything that fool says. Besides, he has Tyki by his side and us too."
"I know he does Yuu-kun, it's just I can't help but feel responsible for what happened. I was the one who pushed Lavi into going out with Neil. When Lavi came crying to us, telling us what happened, I felt so bad. I even thought if I had never suggested he would go out with Neil, he wouldn't have wound up hurt like that." the snow white haired male said regretfully as tears came to eyes before streaming down his cheeks.
"No Moyashi, don't blame yourself like that." Kanda embraced his lover while running his fingers through the Allen's hair to calm him as he wept into his shoulder. The Japanese male felt his shirt dampen slightly with his lover's tears. "You didn't know that guys was going to end up being a good for nothing. The usagi and I don't blame you for that, so you shouldn't either."
Allen stared up at his lover with teary silver eyes as a saddened smile. He felt Kanda's warm hand land on his cheek to wipe his tears away. As the taller was doing that, the white haired male said to him, "Thanks Yuu-kun, you're so good to me."
Kanda placed a soft, loving kiss against his Moyashi's forehead before placing chaste kisses on each of his cheeks. He gave the other a warm smile as he added, "Well you are my lover, so of course I'll always be there for you. And if that bastard even looks at you or the usagi the wrong way, I'll cut him to ribbons."
The silver eyed male chuckled at his samurai's words. "And here I thought you didn't like Lavi, Yuu-kun."
Kanda slightly blushed at the comment before scoffing and diverting his eyes to the side, "I don't; I only put up with him because of you."
Allen chuckled because he knew that despite what Kanda said, deep down his lover cares about Lavi too. He snuggled in close to Kanda while smiling warmly, "Whatever you say Kanda, whatever you say."
The navy haired male was going to retort, but he noticed how cute and content Allen looked. He simply wrapped his arm around his Moyashi's shoulders as his fingers ran through the other's soft snow colored hair. A small smile came to his face as he continued petting his lover's head, feeling a sense of peace. He would never admit it, but like Allen, he did care about Lavi and hoped Tyki would continue being there for him.
(Back at Tyki's condo…)
"…and that's what happened between me and Neil." Lavi concluded after telling Tyki about his breakup.
The ebony haired male was so appalled at what Neil put Lavi through, it made him sick to his stomach. He always wondered why Lavi was so cold to him when they first met, and after hearing all of that, he finally understood why. He could not believe Neil hurt his precious lover like that. "So he was with another woman while you two were together?" he asked in disbelief while making sure he got the facts right.
Lavi gave a short nod, "Unfortunately yes and I didn't even know about it until that night I caught them together in his bed. Looking back on it, our relationship was getting strained little by little, probably because he was losing interest in me. You know it's funny, but after reliving all of this, I wonder if he even felt anything for me at all. I thought he and I could find a way to work it out, but I guess I was a fool."
"I assure you Lovely, you weren't the fool; he was."
"Tyki…"
"You gave him your trust and your heart then he turns around and becomes unfaithful to you? I can't believe he even had the gall to approach you like that after what happened."
"I agree, but what's done is done; there's nothing I can do to fix what was already broken. It's time to put all of that behind me and move on with my life." the redhead sighed before turning to the other, "I'm sorry for talking your ear off about all of this Tyki."
The said male shook his head as he took Lavi's hands in his. "There's no need to apologize Lovely; I'm glad you decided to tell me what's been weighing on your heart all this time. So is he the reason you didn't want to date me at first?"
The emerald eyed male nodded as he replied, "Yes, but all I was doing was using his betrayal as an excuse not to move on. That only gave Neil more influence in my life, so I decided to stop looking back on the past and finally move on." Lavi gave the taller a loving smile, "I'm so glad I did; Tyki, you're the best thing to ever happen to me. Being with you has shown me just because a relationship doesn't work out, doesn't mean the next one won't. You make me happy and I'm thankful you are in my life."
Tyki was so touched by his lover's kind words, a heartfelt smile arose on his face. He embraced Lavi giving him a warm hug, "As am I, Lovely; I promise to always be there for you and love you the way you truly deserve to be loved."
Lavi blushed at the sentiment as he snuggled in close to Tyki's warm, broad shoulder with a relaxed smile on his face. He had never felt so safe and happy with someone, not even with Neil when their relationship was good. The redhead truly believed he finally found someone he is truly destined to be with, and he wasn't going to let anything ruin it, not even his unfaithful ex.
That following Monday afternoon, Lavi finished up his work for the day, so he could go home. Once the work was done, he recorded his daily time before shutting down his office computer. Then he got up, collected all of his belongings and headed out of his office. As he locked his office door, the redhead heard a cheerful female voice say to him. "You heading home now, Lavi?"
Lavi looked up and saw his fellow employee and friend, Lenalee, standing there with her work bag and purse. He smiled as he replied, "Sure am; I finished all my work for the day."
"So have I; why don't we head out together?" the Chinese female offered.
"Sure why not." the emerald eyed male replied before he and Lenalee began to walk out of the building.
As they headed towards the parking lot, Lenalee gave Lavi a knowing smile as she said, "So Lavi, a little birdie told me you're seeing the famous Tyki Mikk, nice"
"Uh-huh and would this little birdie happen to be named Allen?" Lavi asked with a raised eyebrow.
"You might say that." the green haired woman replied with a seemingly innocent smile.
"I thought so; I swear, you two are such gossips."
"We are not," Lenalee said in her and Allen's defense, "we just like to keep each other informed is all. So tell me Lavi, what's he like? I bet he's nothing like how the media portrays him."
"Nice try Lenalee, but I know how you get it comes to my love life."
"So I'm a fujoshi at heart, sue me." the Chinese female said before they both laughed in unison. When they were done, Lenalee asked in a serious tone, "But more importantly, does he treat you well?"
Lavi nodded as a loving smile arose on his face, "Yes, he treats me extremely well and he makes me feel special. With him, I truly know I'm the only one he has eyes for."
Lenalee smiled in satisfaction at her friend's heartfelt words, "That's great Lavi; I'm so glad you're finally happy again. After what happened, you seemed so withdrawn and sad; I was getting worried, but now you're back to your normal chipper self."
"Thanks Lenalee; I can assure you, I'm doing so much better."
"That's what I like to hear.'"
Once they were out of the building, the two workers entered the parking lot. As they did, Lenalee noticed someone she certainly didn't expect to see. Lavi noticed the shocked look on his coworker's face. "What's up Lenalee; you look like you've seen a ghost."
"More like a blast from the past, and not in a good way."
The redhead furrowed his eyebrow at the young Chinese woman as he asked, "What do you mean?"
"See for yourself." the green haired female replied while pointing in the other direction.
The minute Lavi turned around, a look of pure disgust appeared on his face. Standing near his car was Neil who instantly smiled at him the minute their eyes met. The emerald eyed male groaned heavily as he said, "Geez, that guy is like a virus; you don't want him around, but he appears anyway!"
"What's he even doing here, Lavi; I thought you guys were over?"
"Oh we are completely over, but apparently he doesn't get the message. He has a lot of guts showing up here after the blow-up at the ethnic restaurant last week."
"You ran into him at your favorite restaurant?" Lenalee asked in shock.
"Yeah; it's a really long, exhausting story. Seems like I have to go set him straight, again."
"Lavi, are you sure that's a good idea?"
"The sooner he gets the hell out of my life, the better for all of us." the redhead said marching towards his ex with his concerned coworker following after him.
When the two publishers came up to Neil, the blond gave them a sweet smile. "Hello Lavi, and it's nice to see you again too, Lenalee."
The said female gave the other a disgruntled look as she replied, "I wish I could say the same."
"Aww, don't tell me I gave you a reason to hate me too?"
"Hmm let's see, you broke my friend's heart by being a selfish, two-timing jerk. I'd say that's a reason not to like you."
"Well that's harsh." Neil replied, a little offended at the young woman's comment.
Lenalee huffed as Lavi spoke up, "Neil, what are you even doing here?"
"I wanted us to finish our conversation, which we would have done if that violent friend of yours and Mr. Moneybags didn't get in the way."
"Did you not listen to anything I said that night; there's nothing to discuss. Get this through that thick skull of yours, I don't want anything to do with you anymore so get out of my life!"
"C'mon Lavi, just let me explain…"
"I don't have to do anything you say; you've ruined my life enough. I'm fed up with your excuses and trying to justify yourself for what you did."
"Look Lavi, I know you hate me and I what did was wrong, but let's not end it like this. Just hear me out for a little while, and I'm out of your hair for good; please?" the blond pleaded looking quite sincere.
Lavi gave the other a skeptic look as Lenalee chimed in, "Just for the record Lavi, I don't think you should listen to anything he has to say."
The redhead totally agreed with his friend. He gave Neil plenty of chances to repent, but he chose to hurt him deeply. He gave a small sigh before giving his ex and answer, "Forget it Neil; as I said before there's nothing worth discussing between us. You made your choice to leave me, but I've made my choice to move on with a wonderful guy who truly cares for me. You wasted your time coming out here, so do us all a favor and leave. I don't want you anywhere near me, my friends, my lover or my job ever again."
There was a brief silence before Neil spoke again in a disappointed and upset tone, "I see; have it your way Lavi, but you made a big mistake."
"If you mean letting the likes of you in my life then yes the feeling's mutual." the redhead retorted bluntly making his former lover storm off in anger. Lavi groaned heavily as he said, "Honestly, putting up with him is so exhausting."
"I'm impressed with how well you handled that." Lenalee complemented, "not many people could've done it."
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't furious seeing him again. I wanted to throttle and yell at him, but it's not worth it." Lavi turned to Lenalee giving her a thankful smile, "Thanks for being there for me, Lenalee."
"No problem Lavi; what are friends for. So are you going to be alright now?"
"Yeah I'll be fine, but I'll be even better when I see Tyki tonight."
"O-o-o-o, a romantic get together huh; where are you two going?" Lenalee asked in eager curiosity.
"I'm not sure, but he said it was a surprise."
"Well don't let me hold you up; you go have a great time, and don't let that good for nothing Neil spoil your evening."
"You can count on that." Lavi said as he opened the door to his car and got in. "I'll see you tomorrow, Lenalee."
"Okay Lavi; have a good time tonight." Lenalee waved to her friend as he closed his car door and started his car before driving off.
Once her coworker was gone, Lenalee headed to her car as well while dialing a number on her cell. She brought the receiver to her ear as it started to ring. After the third ring, a chipper male voice asked, "Hello?"
"Hey Allen, it's me."
"Lenalee, hey; how's it going?"
"It's going good and you?"
"Just great; so what's up; any good gossip to share?"
"Not exactly, but there is something important I need to talk to you and Kanda about. Do you mind if come over?" she asked in a serious tone.
"Oh not all; come on over. You remember where it is right?"
"Yes I do; I'm on my way over now."
"Okay see you then, bye."
"Bye." The green haired woman ended the call and flipped her phone closed. Afterwards, she got into her car and started it up. After the vehicle ran for a few minutes, she pulled out of her parking space and headed towards her destination.
Later that evening, Lavi was preparing himself for his date. He had gotten a text from Tyki when he got home saying he was going to be a little late because of work. After he finished getting ready, Lavi decided to read while he waited for his lover to arrive. While he was reading, he heard his phone play its message tone. He reached for his phone sitting on his armrest and flipped it open to see Tyki had texted him, 'Hello Lovely; I had to stop by the house after work, but I'm on the way now. XOXO'
Lavi smiled at the text as he texted back, 'Looking forward to seeing you too. Xxx.' After sending the text, he placed the device in his pocket and picked his book back up. Before he even continued reading, his doorbell rang, chiming throughout his house. "That's weird; Tyki shouldn't be here yet." he said as he walked up to his front door. He peeked out the peep hole and didn't see anybody at the door. He unlocked his door and opened it to see it was really no one there at all. His emerald eyes peered left and right, but didn't find one trace of anybody around. He sighed as he turned around, "Must be those neighborhood kids pranking again." he said to himself. As he was closing his door, a hand holding a piece of cloth immediately covered the bottom half of his face. He wriggled and squirmed to get out of his captor's grasp until the scent of chloroform entered his nostrils. After inhaling just a little of the chemical's scent, he collapsed unconscious in the stranger's arm before being dragged out of his house into the night.
When Tyki arrived at Lavi's place, he came up to the door and was about to ring the doorbell. As he did, however, he noticed Lavi's door was slightly left opened. He furrowed his eyebrow at the strange sight before opening the door. "Lavi, Lavi are you in here?" he called out receiving no answer in return.
The indigo eyed male was beginning to worry, but he decided to look around before jumping to any conclusions. He walked into the house while shutting the door behind him. He searched every inch of the place, but there was no sign of Lavi anywhere. "Okay, now I'm really starting to worry." He immediately pulled out his cell and dialed Lavi's cell number. It kept ringing until the voicemail system came on. He ended the call and tried again, but the same thing happened. "Lovely, where are you?!" Tyki asked aloud as he flipped his phone closed. "His car is parked outside and his keys are on the table, so he didn't leave to go anywhere. This is really weird; where could he be?"
At that moment, the ebony haired male heard his cell phone ring. He looked at the caller ID to see it was Lavi calling him back. A wave of relief fell over him as he flipped his phone open and brought it to his ear, "Lovely, thank goodness; I saw your door was opened and you weren't here, so I was really worried. Are you okay; where are you?" There was a moment's silence which caused Tyki to speak again, "Lavi are you there?"
"I'm sorry, but Lavi can't come to phone right now; can you leave a message, Rich boy." a voice that clearly wasn't Lavi's said.
Indigo eyes widened in shock at the voice. Tyki instantly frowned as rage filled his eyes, "What are you doing with Lavi's phone, Niel?!"
He heard the blond laugh in the receiver as he replied, "You're a smart guy; I'm sure you can figure it out."
"Where's Lavi; what did you to him?! If you lay one hand on him, I'll make sure you regret it!" Tyki threatened.
"Oh I'm so scared; you're gonna have to do better than that if you want to intimidate me."
"I'm not in the mood for your foolishness Neil; just tell me where he is now!" the tanned male cried out only to hear the other end click which ended the call. "Hello…Neil…hey!" he called out receiving no answer in return, fearing the worst. 'Lavi, where did that psycho take you?!'
To Be Continued…
A/N: Hey you guys; thanks so much for your patience for this story's update. I apologize for the extremely long wait; I was trying to figure out what direction I wanted this story to go. I would like to thank the readers/watchers for keeping up with it despite the long wait. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and the next one will be coming your way soon! See you next time!