Notes: The research paper of hell is done! I feel so relieved, I had to write an extra special long chapter! I can't guarantee the same length of future chapters, but I promise they will continue to be their usual length. Why else is this chapter such a length? All of you, of course!^^ Yuuki Narumi, wolfpup026, Project Eden, Deadly Fangs, maskedmoonwalker, and Seengot are the reasons for my amazing amount of 40 fucking reviews. I thank you all so much! ALso, I felt bad for doing a fanfic about a series and not involving the main character that much. So, this chapter involves our loveable Brit, Allen! So, I proudly give you the next chapter of Exception!!^^
Disclaimer: Hoshino Katsura.
Warning: Lavi sing and being a pervert. Also, Kanda's language.
12. Brits Give Good Advice
Thursday, 4:35 PM, the Park
"What do I do?" Ivy wondered out loud. The Japanese girl had wandered aimlessly to the park after school. Why? Because she was stressed. And when Ivy Minomasu becomes stressed, she wanders. Why was she stressed? Because now that Lavi had been punished, somehow things between her and Kanda had been different. Not bad different, but simply different nonetheless.
"We're back to the way we were," she began again, starting to pace. "We're friends, but it's different. Of course it's different, we…" She stopped as her face slightly flushed. Shaking off the feeling, she changed her topic.
"And Lavi. Kanda sees him as annoying as hell; I seriously doubt that that will ever change. I personally find him funny. Except for that whole picture thing…" A frown formed across her face. You try to avoid a topic and simply end up trapped again.
"Ugh, never mind. In all honesty, the reason that things are different is because we're closer. I suppose you could say tat we're more… intimate…? No…" Ivy shook her head before pushing the brown bangs out of her face. As she slumped down onto a nearby bench, a hand ran through the short cut. Why didn't any of this seem right? Either that, or it was right and she was in stress-induced denial. Either way, her relationship with Kanda was quickly becoming one big fucking mess.
"But if it is right…" Ivy began again, staring out at the large park with its typical trees and fountain, a play ground at the far end. Despite it being December, the area was still crowded. "…how in the world am I supposed to let Kanda-san know that?" she posed.
"I personally see two things you can do," a voice behind commented, causing the Japanese girl to jump. She turned, brown eyes blinking upon seeing who the person was. It was none other than Allen, leaning casually against the back of the bench.
"A-Allen? What are you doing here?" Ivy cautiously asked, wondering exactly how much of her spiel the British boy had heard.
"Well, you want advice, right? I'll try my best," he answered with his usual smile.
Ivy let a small smile of her own form. "Alright, then. Thanks, Brit."
"You want to let Kanda know that you feel closer to him, right?" Allen enquired, walking to the other side of the bench and sitting down. The girl next to him nodded. "Have you ever thought about calling him by his first name?"
"Eh? His first name?" Ivy nervously started, her face quickly going red. "Have you seen what happens whenever the rabbit-"
The white-haired boy simply shook his head to cut her off. "Come now, Ivy there's two main differences here. For one"–he put up a finger to emphasize his point-"you're not Lavi. And two"-a second finger joined the first-"As far as I can tell from Lavi's ramblings, the stubborn jackass known as Yu Kanda actually likes you."
"Yes, but…" Ivy quietly began, looking down.
"Honestly, you'll be fine," Allen insisted, giving an encouraging smile. "As for my other piece of advice, it's quite simple: Don't think about it so much."
This time, Ivy's calm slipped away. "How the hell do you expect me to do that?!" she exclaimed. "I can't help but think about it- about him the bastard! As a matter of fact, ever since the rabbit stuck his nose where it absolutely did and does not belong, I can't stop thinking about it." Finally calming down, Ivy didn't even care that she had just told that to Allen. Unlike Lavi, he wasn't likely to use that fact against her.
"I understand that, but what I'm saying is that by you thinking too much about it, you become oblivious to just how close the two of you are," the British calmly explained. "Stop worrying so much and maybe it'll help."
Slumping down in her seat on the bench, Ivy began to think it over. In comparison to Lavi's off-color remarks and wacky plans, Allen wasn't that bad for someone siphoning off relationship advice. She raised an eyebrow at him.
"Okay, Brit, you and Kanda-san-" She paused at the look she was receiving from Allen. "Do I have to?"
"If you can't say it to me, I can guarantee you that you won't be able to say it to him."
Ivy let out a small sigh. "All right, you and Yu-kun don't exactly get along. So why are you helping me out with him?" she posed.
Allen chuckled. "Just because I don't particularly like Kanda, doesn't mean I don't like you. Besides, he's easier to deal with when you're around." He smiled and Ivy laughed.
"You think so?"
"Most definitely."
"Thanks, Brit. You're surprisingly good at this. No wonder you got a date with Lena." Ivy stood up and stretched, reaching for the sky. "I'm gonna head home now. Thanks again, Brit. I'll see you tomorrow." She then wandered off, leaving a blushing Allen at the bench. Eventually, he broke out of his daze.
"Wait!" he shouted after the Japanese girl. "Who did you say I had a date with?! What are you talking about?!" It didn't take long for him to figure it out. He knew how the bastard worked, after all. Grey eyes narrowed.
"Lavi."
--
Friday, 2:42 PM, School
"Oi! Yu-pon!"
Oh, what now?
"Yu-pon! Yuuuuuu-poooon!"
Why me?
Kanda sighed, wondering why out of all the people in the world that could have decided to be his friend; it had to have been this idiot that had done it first. Now, he couldn't even leave his last period class- which, of mother fucking course, he had with the rabbit- without some sort of interruption from the obnoxious redhead. If Ivy was allowed to maul Lavi in a dodgeball match over a picture, then surely Kanda was allowed to punch him in the face for being annoying. At least once, right?
"Okay, Rabbit, what the hell do you want?" the taller male growled, giving Lavi a nasty glare that would have probably made some people we themselves. Too bad the idiot's skull was too thick to feel fear.
"Now that Ivy-chan's done with her assault, I can return to my mission!" said idiot proudly declared, giving a thumbs-up. Kanda swore he saw rabbit ears sprouting from the psycho's head.
"Did you just call her '-chan'?" the Japanese skeptically asked. Punching him was sounding a better idea by the second, particularly now.
Ignoring the question, Lavi enthusiastically continued his rant. "I know things are going good, but I think you should try to impress her. Now, what would work?" he mused, tapping his chin. Kanda was considering leaving before the redhead snapped his fingers. "I got it! Yu-pon, how do you feel about singing?"
Kanda blankly stared at the shorter male. Oh, why hadn't he just left when he had had the perfect opportunity?
"I knew you'd love it! Now, it's all about choosing the right song…"
"I have absolutely no desire to find out what you consider the right song," Kanda deadpanned, irritated. He just wanted to go home and close himself off from the world- or at least most of it- for the next two days. Was that too much to ask? Wait, it was the rabbit. Of course it was too much to ask.
"She likes eighties stuff, right? You could always use my favorite!" Why was he so oblivious? "If you want my-" Lavi's singing was cut off as Kanda clamped his hand over the other's mouth.
"Rabbit… Shut the fuck up." He enjoyed the rare silence before removing his hand.
Lavi's one green eye blinked. "Aw, Yu-pon's shy!" he exclaimed, positively beaming in a way that would rival the sun. Kanda didn't like that look at all. "What else could you sing?" The redhead paused to think before breaking out into an Italian Bistro.
Kanda returned to his desk, hoping that something would happen to stop the idiot before he was forced to kill him. Yu Kanda may have hated Lavi, but he being responsible for the rabbit's corpse on school property wasn't exactly on the top of his to-do list.
--
"Yu-kun, are you okay?"
The voice caused Kanda to blink, snapping him out of his self-educed daze. He hadn't really wanted to waste minutes on doing nothing, but Lavi had showed no signs of him leave, and he had to ignore the rabbit somehow. Otherwise, he would go insane, which surprisingly hadn't happened after the years of their friendship.
"Yu-kun…?" The voice spoke again, and Kanda looked up at the person standing in front of his desk.
"Oh, hey, Ivy," he greeted, feeling slightly calmer. "What was it again?"
"I asked if you were okay," the female replied in a slightly concerned tone.
"Lavi's singing; what do you think?" he muttered, causing the Japanese girl to laugh. In that moment, it hit him. "Did you just-"
"Aw, Ivy-chan just called Yu-pon by his first name!" Lavi exclaimed, answering the unfinished question. "Atta girl!" He playfully punched Ivy's arm.
"Uh, I…" she started, looking down as a light shade of red passed over her face.
Kanda propped his elbows on the desk and rested his chin on his hands. "Well, did you?" he questioned, smirking.
Ivy determinedly nodded. "Yes, I did."
Lavi let a satisfied smile cross his face. "Well, I can see where this is going. I'll talk to you two later!" He then went to leave the room, but stopped at the doorway. "Don't forget to practice safe sex," he commented with a smirk. Finally leaving, he resumed his earlier Bistro.
"Shall I give him the black eye, or do you want to do it?" Kanda asked, glaring at the spot where his friend had previously been standing.
"I was thinking something more painful, but we can deal with that later," Ivy commented. "Uh… You don't mind, do you?"
"Mind what?" the male replied, standing up from his seat and picking up the pile of books off of it.
"Me calling you by your first name."
"No, why?" Kanda expectantly raised an eyebrow.
Ivy sighed. "It's just…" She paused, biting the inside of her cheek. She had already had this conversation with Allen. She was not Lavi, and Kanda liked her. That had already been proven. The only thing that was stopping her was herself.
"It's just…?" the taller of the two prompted. Damn that four inch difference.
"Oh, it's nothing," she recovered, dismissing the topic at the same time. "So, what are you doing to night?"
"Homework." Like she hadn't seen that answer coming from a mile away.
"Hell of a way to spend a Friday night," she teased, tossing him a playful smile.
"I suppose. But it goes faster if there are three people at it."
Ivy blinked. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? "You want me to come over?" she asked, disbelief touching the edges of her voice.
"Sure. Assuming you don't have any dates planned." Kanda finished the comment with a smirk. Ivy smiled in response. Yu Kanda, for some reason or another, was the only person she wouldn't automatically smack for a comment like that. "What do you say?"
"I dunno," she mused in a light tone. "Brit and I have been talking a lot lately."
"With your sarcastic nature, I'm choosing to take that as a 'yes.' Meet up out front in a few minutes?" he asked.
"Sure thing!" Ivy's smile grew bigger. "See you in a bit, Yu-kun!"
Not particularly caring about anything else, Ivy broke off into a straight forward run down the hallway that led to her locker. Upon reaching said locker, she didn't hesitate to get her bag together and sling it over her shoulder.
"So, how'd it go?" a familiar voice enquired.
Still smiling, Ivy closed her locker's door. "It went good Brit," she informed. "It went good." She then raced back down the hallway, leaving Allen leaning against the lockers, a smile on his face.