Exception

By: Aviantei

43. TRIangular/QUADrilateral: It's Over (We Promise)

If you hurt any of my friends, I'll never forgive you.

It was a simple sentence, but Allen had spoken it with absolute conviction. Road was sure of it; she could see the glint in his beautiful gray eyes that indicated as much. His expression wasn't the peaceful, happy one she'd come to expect, either. While Allen was skilled at such things, that statement wasn't a bluff whatsoever.

In that moment, Road might have fallen for him even more.

Except she didn't have the wherewithal to recognize or relish in that feeling, as her mind was too busy spiraling, trying to grapple with the implications of his sentence. An Allen that was upset with her a little, fine, but one that would never forgive her, one that didn't have the possibility of being in her life—that wasn't acceptable in the slightest. But what do I do? Do I—I— Unable to even complete her own thoughts, Road's hand trembled before she dropped her backup pair of scissors to the ground.

That's gotta be the first time I've ever seen her balk in the face of consequences, Tyki thought, though he was still on guard. It wouldn't surprise him much if Road said to hell with it all and went berserk on everyone present. Ivy was also on guard, and she knocked the extra weapon out of the way. Still behind the rest of their present friend group, Kanda was also tense, but Ivy locked eyes with him trying to signal that she was okay.

I'm not hurt, so please don't worry about me right now, she tried to say. And even if Kanda didn't get the exact message, he understood that charging into the fray wasn't going to help anyone, so he stayed put. Lavi, Ari, and Lenalee were also on guard, but Allen had started talking again, stealing everyone's attention.

"There are some things I can forgive if you agree to never do them again," he said, thinking of said stalking and the other chaos that had come from Road's pursuit of him. "Not to mention I think this whole school rivalry thing is dumb, so we can be friends if you want. But if you hurt the people I care about, Road, that's crossing a line I can't accept. Do you understand?"

Road nodded. She wasn't quite on the verge of tears, but she felt super overwhelmed in a way that she hadn't experienced in quite a long time. "But I… I just wanted…"

Allen, as patient as a saint, asked, "Just wanted what?"

"I just wanted you to like me!" Though no one was all that surprised by this declaration, Road had never imagined confessing in such an inelegant way. In her head, this moment had been executed to perfection—and yet so many of the Black Order brats had gotten in the way. "People get scared of me, so what else am I supposed to do? But you, you…" She didn't know what it was, but something about Allen seemed like he could accept her, that he could understand her, and she had wanted that more than anything else. "I don't know what else I can do to make that happen!"

"Um," Lavi muttered loud enough for just Tyki could hear, "she does realize her behavior is the problem, right?"

Tyki raised an eyebrow. "If she did, do you think we would even be in this situation in the first place?"

"…Good point."

"Well, we've had a proper introduction, so that's a good start," Allen said. "And, well, like I said, not hurting my friends is also important." Those were two relatively simple conditions, and Road felt like she could manage that much—and then Allen's smile turned the slightest bit sad, making Road's insides turn to ice. "But that's mostly working off the idea that we end up being friends, since I can't return your feelings."

Road stiffened up so much that Ivy couldn't help but look at her in concern. And while Ari and Lenalee hadn't expected Allen to return Road's advances considering the circumstances, it was still a relief to know that they hadn't lost out to a new rival in the eleventh hour. Road's mouth flapped open and shut a few times, and it took her a solid fifteen seconds to squeak out, "Why…? What can I—"

"To be clear, this isn't about you." Well, it was in part because Allen didn't know Road all that well, and what little he did know about her didn't present a very healthy picture, but that wasn't the point. "This is a decision I made for myself. In fact…" Allen stood, adjusting so could see everyone in his sights: Ari, Lenalee, Road, and even Lavi included. "To all of you interested in me: I'm sorry."

Everyone held their breath, letting the words sink in. Was Allen saying…?

"These past few weeks, I've been trying to sort things out, to understand my own feelings," he said, offering the best explanation he could. "And I've been flattered by everyone caring for me, because I didn't realize that so many people found me so important." In a way, he didn't feel like he deserved that much affection, but saying that now wouldn't change anything, so he kept it to himself. "And I've come to realize that you're all wonderful, but even with all this, I don't feel ready to be in a relationship with anyone, so I'm going to focus on other things than dating. I'd rather step away than give a half-hearted attempt to someone, so…"

Where his words had been confident to start, they petered out at the end. Not because they were any less genuine, but because he wasn't sure how to wrap things up without rubbing it in. The collective potential paramours were running the gauntlet of mixed feelings, from a disappointment that they hadn't been chosen to a relief that it meant they hadn't completely lost the potential chance.

No one had won, but no one had lost, either.

Even with that assurance, getting over a heartbreak just like that wasn't a simple task to handle, and even more so for Ari and Lenalee, who had both been invested for so long. But those feelings they could work through on their own time, and they let out overlapping sighs.

"Well, if that's what Allen wants," Ari said, not able to argue with something the person she liked—let alone a close friend—had chosen for himself.

Lenalee nodded, playing with a free lock of her hair. "I won't complain, either. I like to think I have at least enough dignity to not chase after someone who's not interested in a relationship." There was too much else in life to enjoy to waste time that way. Even so, Lenalee caught Allen's gaze and gave him a wink. "Still, if I'm available whenever you are interested in taking that step, you know where to find me."

Ari punched a fist into the air. "And don't count me out, either!"

Allen couldn't help but blush a bit at the earnest declarations, but he didn't linger on them, making sure to make eye contact with Lavi for a brief second, not wanting to out his friend's feelings without permission. Lavi gave a short nod to indicate that he understood—in fact, he should have come to a similar conclusion about himself to sort out his own feelings, but he could work on that—and that just left one person left to react.

Road.

Of course, no matter what happened, Allen wasn't going to change his stance on the matter, because he wasn't ready for something like a relationship. But Road accepting that answer would make everything a whole lot easier considering that she was the biggest loose cannon of the lot. And while she had no idea how to make sense of her own confusion and panic, she did know one thing: that she had been given a second chance to try and get to know Allen better, and she wasn't about to waste that by throwing a tantrum.

"I…I understand," she said, almost not recognizing her own voice for how weak it was. She shifted, and Ivy tensed back up until it was clear that Road just meant to stand up and dust off her skirt. "Thank you for being honest with me. I…I'll reach out to you later, if the offer's still on the table." And with a curtsy, Road Kamelot stalked off towards the exit without another word.

Several beats of silence went by, and then the tension drained out of the group so fast that it was a wonder that no one passed out.

Except that wasn't quite true, seeing as Allen swayed a bit, almost toppling over from sheer relief. Ivy did her best to catch him, almost fumbling it in the process of trying to not stab Allen with her screwdriver, and everyone sans Kanda and Tyki raced forward to check on him.

"Are you okay?"

"You didn't get hurt did you?"

"Allen!"

"I'm okay, I'm okay," Allen said. Everyone, realizing that crowding him wouldn't help matters, backed up a bit, but they were still a collective friendship unit, there for support. "That was…just a lot. Thanks, Ivy, for coming and helping out."

"Not a problem," Ivy said, helping Allen sit up on his own. "I'm just glad that you're safe and we made it through this." And holy fuck did she hope Allen's words had been effective on Road, because going through something like this again wasn't anywhere near on her list of priorities. At least Kanda had come to rest his hand on her shoulder, so that support was nice. "Well, since crisis mode is over, do you want to head home? You've been through a lot."

"No, if we keep going, I want to stay." Ivy and Kanda shared unimpressed looks, but Allen just laughed. "I mean, I was so stressed about this romance thing that I couldn't really relax. I want to spend more time with my friends. Even if the dance doesn't pick back up, it would be fun to hang out somewhere." After all, the night was still young, and he appreciated being with everyone else the most.

Even if this whole mess hadn't ended with a datemate, at least Allen had realized that.

Considering that Johnny's favor of disrupting the dance hall's power hadn't been anything serious, it wasn't all that long before the lights came back on, letting everyone file back into the ballroom. The threat of Road causing chaos now gone, Lavi and Ari took back up their mantle as dance competition MCs (the latter giving Johnny a quick hug of appreciation before zipping back on stage), Lenalee assured Komui that no harm had come to her in the blackout before returning to the judge's table, and Allen stuffed himself silly on the provided buffet, in the interim rounds before the party was sure to continue on into the night.

Though, of course, there was always an exception.

Excusing herself after a while (as well as turning down her advancement in the dance competition she'd never meant to enter in the first place), Ivy had pulled on her jacket and went outside to cool down. While there were streetlamps on, the light pollution wasn't too bad, and it was possible to see the stars up above. Ivy tilted her head back and half enjoyed the view through the puffs of breath fogging the air, half trying to push away the worries swirling through her mind. She was getting mixed results, though it was easy to get distracted whenever a familiar pair of arms circled around her waist.

"Hey," Kanda said, his warm breath dancing across the back of her neck.

"Hey," Ivy said in return. She tilted her head back, noticing the cross expression on Kanda's face. "What's that look for? I already told you that I'm fine." She was lucky to not have gotten hurt, considering Road's danger potential, but Kanda had already checked over her once. "I mean, I still think your grumpy face is cute, but I like seeing you happy, too."

Kanda harrumphed, but it was far less agitation than his default. "Can you blame me for being worried about you?" Ivy supposed she couldn't, but she was also so used to taking care of herself that it was hard to remember that other people were invested in her safety. "I know you well enough to know you can handle yourself, but that could have been close. And I suppose…" He squeezed her tighter. "I'm just glad you're okay. That's all."

Even with the cold outside, Ivy's face flushed with heat, and she tucked her face into Kanda's arm. "Well, I know you would have done the same." Kanda pulled a face, and Ivy giggled, imagining his reaction without even needing to see it. "You don't need to be like that, Yu-kun. I know you did what I asked, so that meant Allen went back into things, right? You wouldn't have followed him if you didn't mean to protect him."

It was such an accurate read on the situation that denying it wouldn't have done any good, so Kanda didn't bother. "The beansprout dying would have been a pain in the ass," he grumbled, and Ivy let it be. Even if Kanda and Allen didn't get along, at least Kanda was willing to keep an eye out for him. "In fact, this whole thing has been a pain in the ass. You brought this on us by agreeing to help, you know. I should take away points for that."

"I must've done something awful for you to threaten that," Ivy said, her tone still joking. She adjusted, turning around so she could hug Kanda in return, stretching up on her toes to drop a kiss on his nose. "Well, to be fair, I just agreed to help Allen figure out his feelings and help with the whole Noah mess. I'd say that we've accomplished both goals over here."

"Are you suggesting that we go ahead and bail now that our work is done?"

"Oh, Yu-kun, I thought you'd never ask." Kanda smiled, giving Ivy a quick kiss, which she happily returned. "Though I will say it's a shame. I got have a dance with that Noah girl instead of my incredible boyfriend. Not a requirement, but it would be a nice way to end the evening."

Ivy very well understood that Kanda had an aversion to such things, and she wasn't about to push it. In fact, while she knew how to dance, it wasn't something she adored. But the possibility of sharing that moment with someone close, someone who she did adore—well, that had a certain appeal to it. Kanda mulled over the proposition, considering the pros and cons of heading back inside where the Rabbit and others could see what was going on. A fit from Lavi was doubtless imminent, but—

"I'll tell you what," Kanda said, taking Ivy's hand and leading her to his car. "You and I go have an evening to ourselves, and we can dance all you want there."

Because, after all, moments like this were best savored in private.

The rest of the dance wrapped up without a hitch, and then Black Order and Millennium students alike were forced to vacate the premises and head home. Seeing as Road had chosen to dip for the evening, a very exhausted Lero had been left in charge of closing up the venue, and he was frantic as he doublechecked for students lingering in places they shouldn't have been, most of them in the midst of making out. Person by person, the dance hall slowly emptied, closing the curtain on the surprisingly bloodbath-free collaborative event between the two private schools.

Considering the time restraints, an ultimate victor hadn't been crowned in the dance-off, but Lavi was satisfied, nonetheless. He'd meant to pull together a competition to make the rest of the party a blast, and he (along with the help of Ari and everyone else) had succeeded. It was a shame that Ivy hadn't stuck around to participate more, but he was more than willing to bet that she and Kanda were off having a good time of their own, and he couldn't ask for more when it came to his friends.

As near-disgusting amounts of soda had been consumed, Lavi was taking one last restroom break before driving home for the evening and he finished washing his hands amongst other like-minded individuals. He and Ari had already agreed to meet by the car, so he just needed to make his way there and go get some well-deserved z's.

"Yo, Red." Lavi stopped, already learning to recognize the voice of none other than Tyki Mikk. Sure enough, said Noah was leaning on a nearby wall, and he had his hand raised in greeting. "I know we keep running into each other in bathrooms, but I figured I'd mix things up a little bit."

"By waiting for me outside the bathroom. I suppose that's a step up." Having learned that Tyki knew Road, Lavi was a bit suspicious, but at least this MPHS student hadn't done anything crossing the line just yet. Lavi tucked his hands into his pockets, already dreading the chill outside. "Though why even bother to come and find me in the first place?"

"Ah, that's a simple reason." Tyki held up a napkin between his fingers. Without waiting to be prompted, he stepped forward, tucking it into the front pocket of Lavi's jacket. "If you ever need my company, you know where to find me now," he said. And with a wink and a pat on the shoulder, he was gone, leaving Lavi to deal with the fact that, yes, the very attractive (was it okay to think that? Fuck it, facts were facts) Noah had been flirting with him.

Hello, Impending Crisis 2.0, here I come!

If nothing else, he had a whole weekend ahead of him to deal with it. Now the priority was making it home and getting Ari there safely. A minute or so later, Lavi was starting his car and cranking up the heat, Ari buckled up in the passenger seat. They idled for a bit, waiting for the traffic to give them an opportunity to get out. Knowing Ari, she'd conk out, and he'd have to wake her up to get her inside the house.

Lavi glanced over to the passenger seat, just to find Ari staring right at him.

"You could've told me you liked Allen, too," she said, because of course she'd figured it out. Ari knew her brother better than anyone else out there. "I wouldn't have been mad." It might have involved a conflict of interest in some ways, but it wasn't the worst possible outcome.

Good thing they weren't driving just yet, otherwise Lavi might have slammed the breaks in shock. His first instinct was to deny everything, but there was no way he could get away with that. "I… It's a new thing," he said. "I'm still trying to figure stuff out."

Ari nodded. "I feel ya. But you can always talk to me. No matter what, you're my brother, and I love you." Which was, again, obvious, but things like this were worth saying every now and then.

Lavi grinned. He hadn't been too worried about getting rejected due to his potential sexuality or anything, but knowing Ari was on his side helped a lot. "Thanks, Sis. I appreciate it."

"Of course!" Ari crossed her arms, locking eyes with her brother. "Still, if Allen does change his mind and you're interested in him then, know that I don't plan to lose to you, either!"

"I wouldn't have it any other way, 'Lil Sis."

[TRIangular/QUADrilateral CLOSE]

[Author's Notes]

Wow, this arc high school me started like almost a decade ago is finally over, holy crap, y'all.

Thanks to maximilianoismiranda for the faves and follows. You're amazing.

But, yes, I'm back after my [Twelve Shots of Summer] run for this year. Obviously walk steady updates are still happening, but these alt slots will bounce between this fic and the couple of Kamaitachi Chronicles chaps I've been working on. I've been trying to make some progress on these older fics. They still have a lot of content to go, but at least they won't be in hiatus hell for a while (hides my other fics under the couch in hopes that no one will see).

Next chap is all that good falling action food, and we'll work our way into the next arc (that I hope won't take a decade to write). Please look forward to it!

-Avi

[09.17.2022]