Exception
By: Aviantei
28. Myriad Madness: Arrival
"This isn't right, Reever, this just isn't right. What if something happens to my Lenalee? What if Allen hurts her? I won't stand for it, I won't! Lenalee isn't even old enough to be dating anyone, you know. She should be focusing on life and school and enjoying those memories instead of trying to get caught up in romance. She'll only end up crying." A loud and not-even-exaggerated (at least to the speaker) gasp. "If Lenalee cries I'll make Allen regret it. Not just in science class, in everything. That boy still has two more years of high school left and I'll be there for every last second, just you wait!"
One Lee Komui ranted these words into the phone at a less-than amused Reever. The two had known each other ever since Komui had begun teaching at Black Order High School, and some days he still regretted it. Most of the time he was able to remember that—despite being a disorganized freak with a massive sister complex—Komui was a capable scientist in his own right and could be reliable when people needed.
Or when people didn't need it as well. This sort of rambling was the standard whenever anything happened involving Lenalee. Things had started to get worse when she entered high school and dating became an option, but she had always turned boys down, so things had never gotten this bad.
"Um, you do realize this is Allen Walker we're talking about, right?" Reever asked, trying to bring some sanity into this conversation. It probably wouldn't work, but no one could say that he hadn't tried. "Allen's a good kid; he wouldn't hurt Lenalee, and definitely not on purpose." Reever currently had Allen in his Biology course, and there wasn't a mean hair on that kid's body. Of course, as always, Reever had to bite back the words So stop overreacting.
Well, it was never a boring day when Lee Komui was around…
"But what if he hurts her on accident?" Komui immediately protested, a response at the ready. The idea of anything happening to his wonderful sister of all people just made him despair and anger all at one. Any wrongdoing to Lenalee was absolute injustice! "High school romances are doomed to fail. I can't stand to have Lenalee heartbroken! Of course, I'll be there to take care of her if she needs me—I am her big brother after all—but it would be better if she didn't have to experience that pain in the first place."
"Well—" Reever attempted, only to have Komui continue on with his tirade. Reever sometimes wondered what would happen if he just hung up in these situations.
"But wait, what if it works out?" Komui's face paled. This was definitely a troubling prospect. "What if they're happy together and they actually have a successful relationship and they go to prom and college together and move in and get married and have kids? No, no, nonono! That can't happen! My Lenalee's too young to be a mother!"
"Boss—" Well, at least Reever was trying. You had to give him that much.
"I need to stop this. Lenalee doesn't realize what she's getting into." Komui pushed aside the gears he had been toying with, almost knocking several items off his desk. All that hard work at cleaning up and his office was a mess already. But who cared—his office could go to hell, he needed to help his sister! Komui stood up, hanging up the phone without warning and sending Reever into radio silence. Komui headed to the door; he still had time. Lenalee hadn't left yet, she hadn't even said goodbye—
"Later, Nii-san! I'm gonna borrow the car today, alright? I'll be home before dinner!"
And so Lenalee skipped down the hallway and out the front door, Komui's car keys in her hand. Aforementioned older brother was too stunned by her cuteness to even think of a response. She had really gone all out with her outfit today—one thousand percent adorable. Lenalee was cute on an ordinary day, but this was a whole other level.
So then…she's serious about this?!
"No, wait, Lenalee, don't go! It's still winter, it snowed last night, the roads are going to be dangerous! I know you have your license but you shouldn't risk yourself for some boy. Allen's not worth it! I'm not ready to be an uncle! Lenaleeeeeeee!"
Ivy stood up from the breakfast table, dishes in hand. She didn't have much cooking skill, and neither did Kanda, but together they had managed to whip up some good rice, soup, and fish. It had actually tasted pretty nice, too, which was an added bonus. Add in the fact that this was the first non-school prepared breakfast she and Kanda had shared together, and it made for a pretty sweet memory.
Except for the fact that this was a total accident and Ivy wasn't really supposed to be here.
The evening beforehand had been pretty nice. All homework had been completed, and the tag team of Japanese teens had managed to prepare soba for dinner. Ivy had been packing up her things to go home before they realized that had been snowing. Not bad enough, but there was still a layer of snow on the roads, and it was just easier to stay in and watch crappy TV without really paying attention to it before retiring to bed.
Two separate beds mind you. Kanda had opted to let Ivy use his room while he commandeered one of his absent foster brother's.
"It looks like things cleared up out there," Kanda reported, coming back into the kitchen from the living room, where he had been doing recon at the window. "We should be able to get you to your bullshit with no problems, though we should leave soon if you wanna stop by your place first."
"Right." Ivy finished up rinsing off her dishes and putting them in the dishwasher. Her backpack was still packed up from the night before, and Kanda held it in one hand, Ivy's winter jacket in the other. She accepted and donned them in the logical order, smiling at her boyfriend. "Sorry for the trouble. I know you don't want to be involved in any of this."
Kanda shrugged, double checking his pockets for his keys. "It could be worse," he said, which was kind of an understatement at this point. Ivy didn't want to think of the ways this scenario could be worse, but part of her brain went there anyways. Kanda put his hand on hers, leading Ivy to the doorway. "At this point, I just want this whole mess over with. So if taking you to the mall to meet up with the dumbass Rabbit to get this whole dumbass thing over with, then fine."
Ivy smiled a bit, squeezing Kanda's fingers and glad that she had at least remembered to bring gloves. "Thank you, Yu-kun," she said, smiling a bit as they settled into the car. Kanda instantly cranked up the heat and the radio, and Ivy stayed in a bundle, hoping to preserve her body heat until the car could help. She and Kanda weren't the most talkative of people on a normal basis, so sitting in silence wasn't really something uncomfortable. Compared to the upcoming day with Lavi, it was nice.
Too bad her phone decided to ring.
Kanda raised an eyebrow, glancing to Ivy. She grimaced, her caller ID saying all. Only Lavi could break up this moment, and considering that they had plans together, it wasn't like she could just ignore it, no matter how much she wanted to.
"Gooooood morning, Ivy-chan!" Seriously, Lavi could put game show announcers to shame. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm on my way to pick you up so you can get ready! I even bought donuts, so don't worry about breakfast. There's work to be one, and we have enough sugar for days here!"
Ivy resisted the urge to laugh nervously. Why was it so easy for Lavi to frazzle her? He wasn't doing anything different than a normal day. "No, it's fine, you don't need to pick me up." Oh, she so didn't want to have this conversation but it was happening anyway. Saints preserve us.
"But, Ivy-chan, you don't have a car!" Yeah, just go ahead and remind her. That wasn't a low blow or anything. "Or a license, even." Fucking hell, that was just unfair. It wasn't her fault Cloud Nine wasn't ever around to teach her! "Don't waste your money on the bus, Ivy-chan, it'll be better if we go together."
"I said I got this, Lavi." Ivy could hear the irritation in her voice, and Kanda could, too. If only Allen didn't have a stake in this, then she could just abandon the whole thing, but Ivy wasn't ready to find out what an angry Brit was like. Or face those puppy dog eyes again for that matter. "You don't worry about me, I will see you there, you understand?"
Ivy could only hope that Lavi would take the hint. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be the case. "Hm, well, since Ivy-chan has no other reasonable way to get there, Cloud Nine's been out of town since forever ago, and Ivy-chan hates public transportation with a passion…" Lavi mumbled before gasping. "Ah, no, wait! Are you with Yu-pon? Did you two stay together?!"
Why was it that Lavi only seemed to show his sharpness at the worst possible times?
Kanda slowed the car as he approached a stoplight and held out his hand. "Give it." It probably wasn't the best idea, but Ivy complied. Kanda kept his eyes on the road but still growled into the phone. "Listen up, Rabbit, I can hear you from across the car. You're being distracting. And if you even dare cause trouble for Ivy today, I swear—"
Ivy retried the phone as the light turned green. Kanda grumbled to himself, but focused on driving, leaving his girlfriend to her business. Ugh, hopefully the Beansprout would man up and get this whole mess over with soon. "Lavi," Ivy said, adding a dose of sweetness to her voice as not to sound too irritated, "If you want to be able to walk around that mall, let alone be stealthy about it, you'll shut your mouth. I'll see you when I get there."
And she hung up, switching her phone silent. She could deal with that particular headache later. Sometimes, it was a wonder having a phone was even worth it. Well, except for the fact that she could contact Kanda that way.
"I think I need some ibuprofen…"
"Glove box."
Allen wouldn't say he felt on the verge of having a panic attack, but he was pretty stressed. This was a completely different scenario than asking Lenalee out or even going out with Ari. When it came to the redheaded girl, it was obvious that Lavi was providing a type of support. However, with Lenalee, Allen had hardly been able to sleep, worrying that Komui was going to come after him.
Well, Lenalee had his car now, so that seriously limited Komui's mobility. That didn't mean that Allen was in the clear. He didn't underestimate the science teacher; Komui would walk to the mall if it meant protecting his sister. He had once ran across the campus courtyard in a thunderstorm because it would get him to Lenalee faster than going through the buildings.
What a pain…
Still, he was on a date and they were at the mall, which at least gave them the advantage of open space. Allen did his best to smile, finding that it came a lot easier than he expected.
"So where do you wanna start?" Lenalee asked. She had done her hair up special, curls adorning her usual pigtails. And just because it was cold outside that didn't mean she had to sacrifice her wardrobe. Underneath her fluffy jacket (which Allen was kind enough to carry) was what Lenalee considered to be one of the top ten cutest outfits in her wardrobe, and she only brought it out in special occasions.
Just try and top that, Ari!
"Um, I'm not so sure," Allen admitted. He really hadn't thought about this much—all of Ari's planning had kind of spoiled him. "There's the Valentine's dance coming up soon—maybe we could shop around for that?"
There were at least two things to get excited for in that sentence. One, that it was some hope that maybe Allen was interested in going to the dance with her—though Lenalee tried to keep herself from getting too worked up, she couldn't help it. The second, involving far less leaps of logical faith, was that involved shopping, and in any event, Lenalee could pick out a dress that Allen thought she looked good in, scoring bonus points either way. Plus, shopping was fun, no matter the situation!
"Come on, I know the perfect place," Lenalee said, grabbing Allen's wrist and dragging him down the main stretch of the mall. Lenalee knew this place by the back of her hand, and would be able to find an effective discount as soon as possible, without sacrificing her look. Of course, no price was too high if it meant having Allen compliment her.
Allen followed along, smiling a bit. He had somehow taken a step in the right direction, and hopefully this would be easier to keep up. While Lenalee was perfectly capable of doing her own thing, she was still much more conscious of others than Ari. Hopefully this whole endeavor wouldn't be too exhausting.
Enjoying the feel of Allen's wrist between her fingers, Lenalee had a break in her thoughts. Only a small one, but enough to make her pause, though her boots continued to click across the mall's floor.
Hey, did you know? Allen-san's lips are soft. Like, seriously.
No doubt about it; that had been an open barb to get under Lenalee's skin, and it had worked. And while she had been in denial, the Chinese girl couldn't help but worry that what Ari had said was the truth. This date wasn't out of pity, right? Sure, Lavi was involved, and he had said that everything was Allen's idea. Lenalee hadn't asked many questions, but she really wanted to know.
She glanced back to Allen, following her in earnest, a smile on his face. Really, he was angelic, ten out of ten. Lenalee couldn't ruin that peace, not yet. Maybe later, when it wouldn't make the rest of the day awkward. She faced forward, increasing her pace as she dragged Allen across the threshold of the first store on her circuit.
They were just getting started, after all.
Road Kamelot, accompanied by one Tyki Mikk, sat in the center food court of the mall, looking an interesting mx of excited and bored. Allen Walker had passed by only a few minutes ago, wrangled along by a girl with pigtails that Road recognized from several pictures. They were probably on a date of some sort, given by the girl's outfit, and it occurred to Road that this was a different girl than one she had glanced in the peripheral last weekend at Millennial.
"Maybe I should go and talk to him," Road muttered, sipping at her slushie despite the outside weather. The mall was well heated in addition to the piles of pink protruding from most stores, signaling the upcoming holiday. "That girl isn't even that cute anyways, even if she can pick her clothes well. She'd be much prettier as a doll."
"Now, now, jealousy won't gain you any points with that boy, I'm afraid." Road shot a glare in her cousin's direction, and Tyki shrugged it off. The Portuguese teen was more than a bit bored himself, but at least he could always pick on Road to pass the time. "I'm just giving you advice. He's earnest from what I can tell, and he won't appreciate you scheming against his friends, in a serious relationship or otherwise."
"Oh, cause you're such an expert on people," Road snapped. Tyki didn't condone or refute the comment. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to get to know someone a bit better. And it's easy to make it a coincidence. I can just say I recognize him and go from there. Contact established, no big deal. I'm playing nice today."
Nice was a relative word for such a little hellion, but Tyki wasn't one to talk. Plus, he liked his clothes and didn't particularly like the idea of them getting ruined by slushie, especially when he was supposed to be serving as Road's ride. As satisfying as it would be to just leave the girl here, she and Sheryl would never let him live it down.
He liked the bit of sanity he had left.
"Yes, you do recognize him: from all those photos and surveillance you had gathered on him." Tyki ran an agitated hand through his hair; this was not what he had signed up for. There had been some hope that he would run into a certain redhead, but a date was a completely different question entirely. Going back to the dorms was preferable at this point, or at least hanging out with people he actually liked. "I take it that those sources are the reason you knew he'd be here today?"
"Mmhmm." Road giggled a bit, stirring her drink with its straw, hoping to mix the ice crystals with the syrup before it melted away. Tyki wasn't all that surprised by that answer, either. "It's amazing what a bit of money can do, you know?"
Oh, did he know. But that wasn't the main concern here, now was it. "You never did tell me what you were aiming for," Tyki mused, making his point obvious without asking the question outright. Road scrunched up her nose, looking ready to unleash a string of profanities in his direction. Tyki raised his hands. "Easy there, I am helping you out here. You can't tell me I don't deserve to know."
Road frowned for a few moments before letting out a heavy sigh. There was no point in keeping secrets if Tyki was just going to be difficult about it. "You make it sound so difficult," she said, toying with her straw between her fingers. "It's simple really:
"I want him."
Writing Komui's ramblings is so much fun it should be illegal. In fact, Komui's ramblings themselves should be illegal. That might help things out a bit.
(Ahem) Thanks to ducminh34, joaquinamr1228, and k4osISAR for your favorites and follows! Bonus props to joaquin for being the fiftieth follower! It makes me really glad that this old sucker still gets people that are interested in reading it. If you have any thoughts on the story, well, writers live on feedback, so I'd love to hear it!
This is, as said, part one of the AllenxLenalee date. Somehow, this sucker managed to be split into three parts-which means the last of the updates for the season will coincide with the end of this sequence. When I first started writing these updates, my outline told me we'd be finishing up the TRIangular arc...so much for that. In any event, hopefully this last batch of chaos will be fun to read.
Oh, those Noah. They're half of the reason this arc is taking so long; they snuck in before they should have... Also note that Road and Tyki's personalities are based off the earlier chunks of the manga and not the more recent stuff. Though messing with developments will always be fun, that's a long way off. Plus, I mean, they make such fun opposition, what else am I supposed to do...?
Well, that's enough lame excuses. I'm just gonna end with the reminder that the next chapter will be up next Saturday and I will see you guys then!
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