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Innocent Rain	By : saxonjesus Category: +. to F > D. Gray Man Views: 3947 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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Chapter List
- 16
- 17
- 18
Chapter 17�Want You Bad

September 12, 2013�The Dark Order, Main Branch

�� Allen pounded for
the twentieth time on BaKanda�s door. �Come on, guys, we have to go!� He
shouted. He�d been standing outside the door for nearly fifteen minutes now,
and he still hadn�t gotten an answer. He knew they were in there, though, just
ignoring him as usual. They were probably doing something perverted. Ever since
they�d kissed in front of everyone, Allen had had no illusions about what there
were doing with each other. After all, he�d been Cross�s apprentice.

�� Oi! Moyashi,
we�ve been looking for you for a half hour. Get your ass up to the Director�s
office,� Kanda shouted from down the hall, and Allen looked over, surprised.
Kanda and Lavi were both approaching him, the former looking nearly incensed
and grabbing Mugen�s activated hilt.

�� I was sent to
look for you�where were you guys?� Allen asked plaintively as they reached
their door.

�� Looking for you,
retard,� Kanda replied angrily.

�� It�s Allen,� he
said grumpily. By unspoken consent, the three of them walked up to the
Director�s office, Kanda leading and Lavi at his right side. Staying behind them
wasn�t a bad thing, though. It was actually rather amusing. Every few seconds,
their hands would brush, and they�d jump apart as if burned. Or one time, Lavi
tripped, and Kanda grabbed his shoulder to catch him. Unfortunately, Kanda had
underestimated the redheaded Exorcist�s weight, and they�d both tumbled to the
floor. Kanda landed on top of Lavi, their faces nearly touching. He saw their
eyes go ridiculously soft, and Lavi was about to lift his head up when Allen
snorted. It was just too funny.

�� What happened to
that meeting?� He asked nastily, kicking Kanda as he passed the two of them. He
took point after that, cackling to himself every few minutes.

---

�� They walked into
the Director�s room, and Allen once again felt a light pang in his heart at Komui�s
missing presence. Somehow, he had come to love the man like a brother, and his
absence tore at him whenever he was reminded of it.

�� So we�re finally
going out?� He asked. Kanda growled behind him.

�� We would have
left earlier if you hadn�t been sick, Moyashi.�

�� He has a point,
you know,� the Director said quietly, and Allen saw Kanda smirk in slight
amusement.

�� The other Generals
had all left, Lenalee included. On the third of September, she was well enough
to leave, although she was still sick with a cold. She had taken Miranda,
Lolek, Darcy, and Amanda with her. Allen couldn�t help but feel very lonely
without her comforting, solid presence at his side. He berated himself for
thinking that. He needed to stop being a lovestruck
fool. He was the Destroyer of Time, and ironically, he didn�t have time for
that.

�� A week later,
Generals Cyrah and Tamas had left, taking with them the majority of the
Exorcists. Just two days prior, General Tuan was finally well enough to move about, and he would be taking his leave of headquarters in a
week or two. Allen had a sinking feeling it was time for him and his group to
be on their way. He looked around the room for any other companions and saw a
blond boy with hazel eyes sitting in a chair next to the Director�s desk. He
was holding something gray and fuzzy, though Allen couldn�t tell exactly what
it was.

�� That�s everyone,
then,� the Director said, and Allen took a seat on the couch. He looked over at
the boy and took a double-take.

�� Is that a koala?�
He asked incredulously. The gray, fuzzy thing yawned widely and turned to stare
at him. It bit the boy�s hand and jumped lightly onto the couch next to the
chair. It walked over to Allen and nuzzled his lap.

�� Oi! Siegfried, that hurt,
mate!� The boy yelled, looking scandalized at his koala�s
apparent betrayal. It made a snorting noise on Allen�s lap and curled up
tightly, falling asleep. Allen stared down at the ball of fur and began to pet
it for lack of anything better.

�� Well,� Lavi said,
taking a seat next to Allen and pulling Kanda down next to him, �this is
awkward.�

�� Speak for
yourself, mate, that�s my Innocence!� The boy exclaimed.

�� Your Innocence
doesn�t seem to like you very much,� Lavi shot back, sticking his tongue out playfully.
Kanda whapped him over the head.

�� Well, seeing as
you�re all finally gathered here, why we don�t discuss your mission,� the
Director said, interrupting the proceedings before Lavi started pouting loudly.
�You�ll be going after the Earl.�

�� Allen gawked,
unable to say anything.

�� Wait, we know
where he is?� The boy with the koala asked.

�� The Director
paused and then looked dejected. �Well, no�� His face lit up again, and he
added, �but that�s where you come in! Allen, you�re our most powerful Exorcist, and Kanda
and Lavi are our numbers three and four, respectively. Justin, you�re here
because Siegried bit General Kabbah, and she didn�t
want you. That, and Michel didn�t want to go without Hok�ee. Logistically, I
would have liked to have had Lenalee with you, but she rather forcefully
insisted that she lead the group looking for Artemis.� The Director shuddered, tenderly
rubbing his arm, and Allen got a very good idea of what he meant by �forceful.�

�� So we are finding
and destroying the Earl?� Kanda questioned, sounding skeptical.

�� Well, not in so
many words, but yes.�

�� Kanda snorted.
�We�re dead,� he muttered.

�� Yuu, be more
optimistic!� Lavi scolded, though he, too, looked worried.

�� Why? We�re going
to die,� Kanda insisted, staring point-blank at the Director.

�� Well, you would
call in the other Exorcists should you actually find the Earl,� the Director
said, backtracking.

�� And how would we
get them to our location?� Allen asked, now skeptical himself.

�� You control the
Ark, do you not?� The Director asked, and Allen paled. He didn�t like using the
Ark, even when it was needed. Even if the Musician wasn�t supposed to be
bothering him anymore, using anything so obscenely Noah gave him the shivers, and it reminded him of how untrusting
and corrupt the Order could be.

�� Where are we
going anyway?� The boy, Justin, asked.

�� Well, you�ll have
Finders and Military personnel with you,� The Director said, not answering the
question.��

�� So? Where in the
bloody hell will we be?� Allen asked, becoming quite annoyed at the evasiveness
of the new Director.

�� Well, you�ll be
living in the Ark� Uhhh yeah, we don�t really know�
but whenever the Finders discover a possible location, you�ll be sent there.�

�� You have to be
kidding me,� Justin said disbelievingly.

�� Then, can�t we
just� stay here?� Allen asked, scratching his head and dislodging Timcanpy. Tim
fluttered around his head and scratched at him in annoyance.

�� It�s not so much
a matter of travelling as it is a matter of, ahem, housing,� Director Williams said, and Allen shot him a questioning
glance.

�� Explain,� he
said.

�� Well, you�ll be
assigned a sixty-person regiment from the Coalition, and you�ll have at least
that number of Finders, half of whom will be out on the field, doing the actual
searching. We don�t have enough space for them here in the Order, so it would
be best if you could house them in the Ark. As for you Exorcists, if you�d
prefer to sleep here, then you may do so, though the orders will be going straight
to the Ark, so it may not be particularly wise,�
the Lieutenant General added. Allen nodded.

�� All right, then,
we�ll move our things to the Ark. Are there anything else we need to know, or
should we leave?�

�� You can go ahead
and leave, all four of you, and I�ll have Major Andrews and his officers come
see you in the Science Department as soon as possible.�

�� Allen nodded in
sharp understanding. As one, the Exorcists got up to leave, and Allen handed
the ball of gray fluff back to the Australian boy. They headed down to the Ark.

---

�� Sometimes Yuu
really hated his life.

�� It wasn�t the
usual type of hate, though�that horrid self-loathing spawned from years of
intense, soul-rending abuse. It was something entirely different, something so
foreign that it took Yuu several days to understand it completely. He was glad
to be alive; his near-death experience had taught him that much. He no longer
craved death like it was a numbing drug that would erase him like chalk from a
slate. He had no illusions about the reason for the change�somehow, that
stupid, disgusting, piece-of-shit rabbit had burrowed its way into his heart,
and it was now hibernating there. Permanently. He also
had no illusions about the fact that he liked it. And perhaps that was the most
infuriating feeling of them all.

�� Because
he hated Lavi. He hated his stupid red hair that stood out at every
angle in the mornings. He hated the way Lavi slurred all his words together,
even when he wasn�t using his former persona. He hated the way the other man
chewed with his mouth open, how he talked with food in his mouth. He hated how
Lavi always knew everything about him, no matter how much Yuu tried to hide it.
He hated how the redhead was so touchy,
how he had come to crave the other man�s touches, regardless. He hated how Lavi
knew exactly what to do to make him want more. He hated Lavi�s piercing voice,
how it hit him right in the depths of his soul. He hated how he could never
quite figure Lavi out. And perhaps the most frustrating of them all, Yuu hated
that Lavi was a full seven centimeters taller than him. Even worse, though, was
Lavi�s stupid-ass, wide, and obviously fake smile. He couldn�t see how other
people didn�t notice Lavi�s insincerity.

�� But he also loved
Lavi. He loved that stupid hair, that stupid, impossibly green eye that always
saw through him. He loved how the man smelled�ink and paper, and if Yuu sniffed
really hard, he could catch the barest hints of something subtle and woody. He
loved how the other man held him in just the right way, how he knew almost
instinctively what reminded Yuu of his father or of what he had suffered. He
loved how he avoided things when Yuu didn�t want to talk about them. He loved
how Lavi knew when to push it and make him talk, even if he didn�t want to. He
loved Lavi�s sheer intelligence, even if it was kilometers higher than his own.
He loved how the man knew how to make him feel good, seemingly without any
effort, and he loved how Lavi knew exactly what to say to make him feel better.
Most of all, though, he loved Lavi�s real smiles. They
were small, but they held a well of emotion and caring that nearly melted him�not
that Yuu melted.

�� Yes, Yuu loved
Lavi, there was no denying that. And that was why he hated his life. Well,
maybe not exactly. He hated his life the most because all these thoughts stayed
fixed in his mind, jammed in place and unmovable, as if someone had shackled
them there eternally. They were only words, only feelings, but Yuu could not
allow himself to say them. They were to be left unuttered until the lotus of
his life crumbled in its decomposition.

�� Worse even than
the unspoken words were the unsatisfied feelings that hadn�t left him all
month, growing like a roaring fire until Yuu felt like he was going to burn
from its sheer force. It never stopped, only grew and grew, with Lavi acting as
the bellows, exacerbating the problem until Yuu could barely breathe for the
sheer heat. It had started as a small flame, but with each waking day and each
restful night, it flared and sparked.

�� Had it started on
the third? Yes, it had. He and Lavi were in the library�Lavi was getting books,
as usual (the man went through them faster than Moyashi went through food). Yuu didn�t know what they were about,
nor did he care. He just didn�t want to be left alone in that stuffy room that
still smelled of Moyashi�s
regurgitations. Having the window open didn�t help. It only augmented the
stench of Moyashi�s stomach. He looked
down at Lavi�s pile absently and picked up the topmost book with practiced
disinterest.

�� What is this
shit?� He asked, staring at the book in revulsion.

�� Oh, Amanda
recommended it�she said it gave a scarily accurate view into the female psyche�
but not in those words. What she actually said was��

�� I don�t care
what she said it was. This is a waste of trees.� Yuu scowled at the book as if
that would make it disappear.

�� Amanda
recommended Lord of the Rings, and
you read it�even liked it, from that cute little face you made when you
finished it,� Lavi commented as Yuu flipped disgustedly through the book he was
holding.

�� Your
point?� He asked, closing the book and resisting the urge to burn it in
the nearby fireplace. Surely, he could get Lavi to aim a fire seal his way, and
then he could�

�� Your scheming
face is really adorable, Yuu-chan,� Lavi said quietly, and he pushed Yuu
lightly back into the shelf, holding him there gently in his paradoxically firm
grip.

�� Yuu froze, unready
for the close, intimate contact that followed. Lavi hesitated, but Yuu forced
himself to relax, because he liked
when Lavi touched him like this, and he was rewarded with the soft pressure of
Lavi�s lips caressing his own. Yuu sighed against them and parted his lips
infinitesimally. Lavi smiled against his mouth, and suddenly the pressure was
gone. He shivered as he felt Lavi�s breath on his ear and again as he felt
Lavi�s lips touching the junction of his jaw and neck, just below his earlobe.
Yuu cracked an eye open and was shocked at how red the man�s hair was. It was blinding, almost, so he shut his eye
again, and then Lavi trailed his lips down Yuu�s neck. His breath hitched as
Lavi hit the base of his throat. He felt Lavi bite down in a light nip, but it
was exactly over that one horrible, nearly invisible scar that his father had
left there. Yuu felt paralyzed as he took a trip back to the past�

�� Teeth scraped against bone, gnawing,
cannibalistic teeth that hurt and grated and eroded and�

�� And Lavi was gone,
backed up against the opposite shelf a few meters away, looking horrified. An
arm was over his mouth, and only the wideness of his eye showed Yuu the
panicked expression. It faded a moment later, replaced with something dull and
fake, and Yuu wanted to slice it down the middle, to bring back Lavi�s real
emotions.

�� I�I have to go,�
Lavi choked out in a strangled voice. He turned tail and half-ran from the
room. Yuu heard the hastily shouted �bathroom� that Lavi sent back toward him,
though he knew the rabbit wouldn�t actually be there. He collapsed to the
ground, back still against the bookshelf, and wondered just what the hell had
happened.

�� It had only gotten
worse after that. Lavi just wouldn�t touch
him, not like Yuu wanted�not like Yuu craved. It was getting to the point that
Yuu wanted to just let go of all attachment and dispense with the man
altogether. But he knew he couldn�t survive it. It was as if something had broken between the two of them that day
in the library, and Yuu wanted it mended. Now.

�� As one, the four
Exorcists walked into Moyashi�s
stupid little Ark, and Yuu forced himself to pay attention to the present
situation. They treaded down the familiar cobbled
city, its whitewashed stone and clear, cloudless sky too silent, too still, to
put Yuu at ease. Lavi strolled behind him, chattering as usual. For some
reason, though, there was a desperate undertone to Lavi�s voice that Yuu could
not understand, and whenever he looked back at the man, he saw something
strange in his face.

---

�� Lavi looked back
at Yuu�s stoic face. From his eyes, though, Lavi could tell that the Japanese
man was curious, extraordinarily so. He didn�t understand how other people
couldn�t see it, how other people failed to read the man. It was so easy�all it
took was one long look into Yuu�s eyes, those two now-sparkling, brown eyes
with immeasurable depths.

�� But no matter how
good Lavi was at reading Yuu�s eyes, he couldn�t understand the man�s physical
cues. He knew almost instinctively when Yuu�s abrupt lack of motion meant he
was simply reacting out of habit. He just wished he knew when he was throwing
Yuu back into memories. He knew something was wrong when Yuu stopped moving,
but he never knew if Yuu wanted more or less, and it was driving him insane.

�� Lavi was
frustrated. Not mentally�well, yes, mentally, but he was getting over that�but
physically. In particular, he was sexually
frustrated, but he didn�t know to approach the subject to Yuu, because
honestly, it would be a miracle if Yuu wanted him in that way in the first
place. Lavi was completely, one hundred percent sure that that first night, the
night that Yuu had explained everything to him, had been a fluke. Yuu had
needed something to wake him up, and Lavi had provided it. There was nothing
more to it than that, even if deep in Lavi�s heart, he wished there was.

�� There had been a
time on the eighth when Yuu had walked up to him. Lavi nearly choked as the
other man kissed him lightly, chastely, on the cheek. As Yuu pulled back, his
face was burning, but there was satisfaction in his expression. It had been the
first contact that Yuu had truly initiated on the kissing front, and since�and
Lavi was starting to suspect that this was what had emboldened the other
man�there was no one else nearby, Lavi couldn�t help but tilt his head down.

�� Yuu got the hint,
and their lips softly touched in a kiss too sweet for Lavi to describe in
words. No language could describe it. Not even music. It was much like the kiss
Yuu had given him the morning of the twenty-second of August, except that it
did not feel testing. This time it was more� searching. Lavi couldn�t exactly place the difference, but it was
there.

�� There were no
tongues, there was no touching, and their mouths stayed closed, but Lavi had
never felt more satisfied. Which brought him back to his
current problem. Nearly everything Yuu did turned Lavi on,
and he could do nothing to stop it.

�� Much as he didn�t
want to, though, Lavi held back. He didn�t want to pressure Yuu into doing
something that would irrevocably damage him. Yuu�s pain was an anathema to him,
and he would do anything to avoid it. He knew what it was like to watch Yuu
suffer, especially from the trauma of rape, and Lavi vowed that he would never,
ever force himself on his� whatever Yuu was. Yuu should never have to suffer
that again, ever.

�� Still, it was
slowly driving him crazy. Yuu was not the most experienced in physical matters
(though Lavi more than made up for that, and Yuu was a quick learner), but
sometimes Lavi would do something that would just make him seize up and stop
responding for a moment. It was at those times that Lavi pulled back, making a
hasty retreat. And it was starting to drive him crazy.

�� Lavi didn�t pay
attention to the present. He ignored the game of war between the boy Exorcist
and Allen (naturally, the latter won). He ignored the strange, questioning
looks Yuu was giving him. All he could do was sit with his legs crossed, hoping
no one would notice just how bad his situation had gotten.

�� A long-haired man
entered the Ark�s main plaza only a few moments after
them, and when Allen turned around, his eyes widened in understanding.

�� Major Andrews, I
assume?� He asked, sounding nearly pompous. The effect would have worked had he
not been so scrawny. The man saluted Allen, who followed suit awkwardly.

�� Yes, sir, Major
Ulysses Andrews reporting, sir,� the man barked out, staring straight at Allen,
his hand still up in its salute.

�� Er, at ease,� Allen muttered, blushing a little. To
himself, he added, �God, I�m still not used to being all important.� He scratched
at his chin in wonder.

�� Urusei, Moyashi,� Yuu growled, activating
Mugen and holding its hilt for added effect.

�� That�s
insubordination, BaKanda,� Allen said, trying and
failing to look imperious. �I am the General of the Army of the Coalition
Forces of the Earth�bow down, lowly Major General!� He pointed a mocking finger
at Yuu, and Lavi could tell it was all the black-haired man could do to prevent
himself from cutting it off in spite.

�� Yuu�s a Major
General?� Lavi asked, now genuinely interested.

�� Oh, yeah,� Allen
replied brightly, �it was something decided at the UN conference. All the
Exorcists who haven�t yet hit Critical are Colonels, and any Exorcist who has
hit Single or Double Critical is a Major General. I differ from this, because I
am the Destroy of Time, and thus, awesome.� Allen struck a pose, and Lavi felt
Yuu move from his position twenty-one centimeters to his left. He had his
weapon poking right at the edge of Allen�s back a moment later, and Lavi had to
chuckle at Yuu�s short temper.

�� Allen clucked.
�Insubordination, Kanda, insubordination.�

�� I�ll give you
insubordination, Moyashi,� Yuu hissed
menacingly.

�� It�s General of
the Army Walker to you, Major General BaKanda.�

�� If you expect me
to call a retard like you by that ridiculous title, then you�re more mentally
challenged than I thought,� Yuu hissed, poking his blade into the younger boy�s
back enough to make him arch away from it. Lavi sighed and smiled. The angry
sparks going between the two brought back old times. No, they weren�t happier
times, but Lavi still looked on them nostalgically. Things had been simpler in
those days. Everything was simpler when he didn�t feel. Looking again at Yuu,
though, Lavi knew he would never regret the change in his mentality. Yuu was
worth whatever crazy, unbalancing emotions that tumbled through Lavi�s mind.

�� The Major cleared
his throat, interrupting the small tiff between the young Exorcists, and when
Allen turned his attention back to the tall, bulky man, his General mask was
firm on his face. �I have the rest of the soldiers waiting outside. We need to
talk over how they will be split up among the four of you. They are also poorly
trained, if they are at all. For all I know, some of them might not even speak
English��

�� I�ll take that
group,� Lavi interrupted, raising a hand.

�� The Major looked
at him doubtingly but nodded sharply and continued. �They are not battle-ready,
but they shall have to suffice. We will train them for this particular mission,
of course. The soldiers will also be needing housing
here, so if you could give them quarters, I�d appreciate it.�

�� Allen nodded in
understanding. �Alright,� he said. �Bring them in. Just give me a moment to
create the rooms for them. Have them all gather in the Main Plaza, and we�ll
get them all settled in. Also, have them split up into groups of fifteen. Lavi
gets the ones who can�t speak English, Kanda gets the least experienced in
fighting, Justin gets the most experienced�sorry, kid, but you�re a brand-new
Exorcist, you don�t know enough�and Major, you�ll help him, and I�ll get the
remaining group.� With that, Allen walked over to a wall, which opened into the
Musician�s room.

�� Okay, Sebastian,�
Lavi heard the white-haired Army General say. �Help me make some rooms.�

�� Lavi heard the
unmistakable sound of a finely-tuned upright piano being played, and a moment
later, the Main Plaza opened up as new buildings sprung, fully-formed, from the
ground. Then, the youngest General appeared through a different part of the
wall, and he looked pleased with himself.

�� Several minutes
later, the soldiers marched in, heads held up nervously but with pride. Lavi
scanned them all over with his all-seeing eye. His heart sank. Most of them
seemed to be around his age or younger.

�� Tristram, James?�
The youngest Exorcist of their group asked unbelievingly. Two
of the soldiers broke rank, looking at Justin as if they�d seen a ghost.

�� Justin?� They
asked, jaws dropping.

�� What�re you doin� here?� Justin asked. �I thought you�d all be in
college by now.�

�� Too expensive,�
one of the soldiers grimaced.

�� My birthday came
up too soon,� the other one said, looking depressed. A horrified look crossed
Allen�s face, and within a moment, he was next to the three youths, clutching
the arm of the boy who had just spoken.

�� What do you mean,
�it came up too soon?�� Allen asked, his voice low and
dangerous. His grip tightened, and Lavi saw the other boy pale in pain.

�� Well, sir, they
draw birthdays to decide who�s going to go� can you let go, sir? You�re hurting
me.�

�� Allen�s grip
tightened further, and the boy�s eyes bugged out. There was a flash as Allen�s
Innocence activated, quite on its own.

�� Sir!
You�re hurting me! Please let go!� The boy yelled, looking terrified. Lavi
realized Allen was in a fury so deep that he was in danger of taking it out on
the nearest thing. It wouldn�t do to scare the soldiers in such a way. Since
his little problem was quite gone due to the commotion, Lavi uncrossed his legs
and stood up, striding quickly over to Allen and carefully prying his fingers
from the young soldier�s arm.

�� Allen, there�s
nothing you can do,� Lavi said softly in what he knew was a calming voice. He
was a superb actor, after all. Not that he was acting.

�� The other Exorcist
looked at him with steely gray eyes that swam with unshed tears�whether of
anger or sorrow, Lavi did not know. The blind rage on his face, the knowledge
that he could not save others his age from almost certain death, delayed his
judgment, and Allen hauled back and punched Lavi in the jaw.

�� Someone�s hand
caught Allen�s wrist as he pulled back for another blow, tears now flowing
freely down his face. He was sobbing, Lavi noted as he waited for Allen to pull
roughly away and hit him again.

�� Moyashi,� Yuu�s steely voice said from
above, �calm down, or I will disembowel you.� His
Innocence shone a dangerous blue, completing the threat. Allen struggled
against Yuu�s firm grasp, clawing at the air with his free left arm. His
agonized voice cut through the air.

�� Too
young!� He wailed. �You all are too young! You�re all going to die!� He
pounded at the ground, dislodging a surprising amount of rock, and Lavi moved
forward to embrace the younger Exorcist.

�� It�s okay, Allen,� he whispered, staring helplessly up at
Yuu.

�� It�s not okay,�
Allen cried, his voice muffled by Lavi�s jacket. �We�re supposed to be
protecting people like this!�

�� Pushing abruptly
away from Lavi (for which he was thankful), Allen stood up and brushed his
dusty pants off. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he stalked off, muttering, �I
need a drink.� Lavi watched him open a door, and he smelled the distinctive
odor of a pub before Allen slammed the door behind him. Lavi heard it lock with
a click!

�� For a long while,
there was silence. Lavi stared at the door. Since when did Allen drink? He detested
it more than anything else. Perhaps he would go gambling instead. Lavi
sincerely hoped so. He didn�t think Allen could hold
his liquor very well, and an Exorcist could never afford to be drunk,
especially now.

�� Clapping his hands
together, he looked over at Yuu, who scowled back. It wasn�t a true scowl�in
his eyes, Yuu was blatantly curious as to what had just happened, what they
were supposed to do. Perhaps there was even a small tinge of worry for Allen in
them, but Lavi was probably imagining that.

�� So, you�re all
here to be grouped off. There�ll be four squads. Yuu�okay, fine, Kanda�s�group will meet in the eastern
corner, mine will meet in the west. Those in Allen�s squad�ll
meet in the north, and Justin, you take yours in the southernmost corner. Come
on, now! Split up!� Lavi shouted.

�� The soldiers
dispersed, obviously having already been placed into their groups of fifteen,
just as Lavi had expected. Lavi walked up to the Major and gave him a salute.
�Well done, Major, in getting them separated. I�ll take it from here until
Allen gets back. Until then, go help Justin with his group. Just do basic arms
training. I�m sure you�ve got plenty.� The Major nodded. �Good, go get them,
bring them back here, and we�ll commence.�

�� As the Major ran
off to grab the different weapons the soldiers would be using, Lavi strolled
over to his group. Just like everyone else, they were from all different
corners of the globe. Lavi clapped his hands and stood in front of them. He
scanned each of their faces carefully and then smirked.

�� So how many of
you can actually speak English but thought you�d get out of the war if you
pretended you didn�t?� Lavi asked. Nearly all of them looked flustered. These
were no soldiers, they were just boys, and Lavi couldn�t blame them. �Well, I�m
sorry to say this, but you�re stuck here, so those of you
who can actually speak English, do it. I don�t give a shit about your personal
thoughts. I�ve seen too much fucking war, especially this one, and I can tell
you now that most�if not all�of you will not come out of this alive. So I have
a few pointers for you: one, you protect the civilians as best you can. If you
can get a shot at an Akuma, sure, go ahead, it�s one less for us to kill, but
otherwise, just keep the civilians alive. Two, don�t ever accept anything the Earl offers you. If one of your buddies
dies, and you want them back in the land of the living, don�t even think of turning him into an Akuma, �cause he sure as hell won�t thank you, and we won�t, either.
That Akuma could evolve until it�s too powerful for us to defeat, or it could
be the difference between us surviving and us getting maimed or turned to ash.
And three, stay low and stay together. You can protect each other easier in
numbers.�

�� They all looked
stoned by Lavi�s speech, but two looked genuinely confused. Remembering them as
two who had not looked flustered at his earlier question, he took them to the
side. Judging from the flags denoting their countries on their uniforms, Lavi
was quickly able to identify their languages and repeat the same speech. They
nodded, and Lavi told them that he�d teach them enough
English until they could understand their comrades somewhat. The rest, should
they survive long enough, they would have to learn on their own.

�� It was almost
pitiful, really, the hopelessness of the entire situation. Still, it was Lavi�s
duty to train these soldiers, and he would. He glanced over at Yuu, and feeling
warmer, he began to explain the basics of how to defend against Akuma. He
explained how to use the Finders� entrapment devices, and once the weapons
came, Lavi caught the explanation from the Major and repeated it to the
scared-looking boys in front of him.

---

�� He was surrounded
by idiots. These stupid boys couldn�t even be called soldiers.

�� I know that
stupid Moyashi gave me the most
inexperienced of the lot, but this doesn�t explain how none of you know how to
hold a weapon. Were you even trained?� Yuu had meant the question to be
rhetorical, but half the group shook their heads. Yuu sighed in frustration.

�� The rest of
you�how long were you trained for?�

�� Two weeks,� said
a sandy-haired idiot.

�� One week,� said a
second, dark-haired idiot.

�� I had a month,� a
third idiot piped up.

�� Che,� Yuu scoffed. He was in for a very
long day. �I know nothing of your modern weapons, so I�ll have the Major work
with you on those later. For now� drop to the ground. I want you all on your
hands and knees!� He pointed to the cobblestoned street for emphasis. The
soldiers blinked. �Don�t,� he added icily, �make me repeat it again.� They all dropped simultaneously.

�� This is a push
up,� Yuu explained, doing a quick demonstration. The idiots sniggered. �If you
think you know how to do it, then let me see them.�
Needless to say, each soldier failed Yuu�s test, and he spent a good amount of
time fixing their body positions. �I want you each to do five sets of ten of
these a day.�

�� The soldiers
groaned. �So many!� One complained. Yuu stared
frostily at him.

�� I do them one-handed,�
he said in a low, dangerous voice. The boy shut up. �Three hundred�per
arm.� The boy gaped. Yuu ignored him and moved on to demonstrate several
other exercises, and the soldiers complained louder with each one. Yuu worked
them until they could barely stand, at which time the Ark�s sun was setting in
the west.

�� As he dismissed
the soldiers, he looked each of them in the eye and added, �good.
Maybe if you can do these all properly, you�ll last a little longer.� Then,
turning swiftly, he walked over to Lavi�s corner. The redheaded Exorcist was
sitting on the steps of a white building, gazing out at the entire plaza. As he
approached, he noted Lavi�s unfocused eye.

�� Che. Baka Usagi,� he muttered. Only Lavi would fall asleep with his eye
open. He sat next to the man, probably too close, but Yuu didn�t care. The day
had been mentally tiring, and Moyashi
still hadn�t returned. His group had been dispersed amongst the others when
they had realized their leader was not coming back, and while they had been
more competent than the idiots Yuu had worked with all day, they were still
hopelessly undertrained.

�� He didn�t feel
himself leave consciousness behind, but when he woke up, the ground was moving
beneath him. He saw the dark, moonlit cobblestones pass with each slow step of�wait, what? The arm around his legs felt very sturdy, and
Yuu could place it immediately as Lavi�s. He relaxed and let the cobblestones
move on and on until they were inside a room. There was a large, king-sized bed
inside it, and Lavi placed him on it. The redhead groaned and stretched his
arms and back with a plaintive expression on his face.

�� Jesus, Yuu,
you�re like a sack o� potatoes when you�re asleep,� he complained, sitting down
on the bed himself. Lavi quickly divested himself of his shirt, and moonlight
crossed his back, illuminating it. Yuu had never before seen it, not like this.
He could clearly see the lines of muscles rippling as Lavi moved. Each shadow
and highlight looked like something out of a painting, excepting the very noticeable
scar of a bullet hole near Lavi�s left shoulder blade. Suddenly, Yuu was
possessed with the urge to touch it, to see if it was real, if Lavi himself was
real. Even though he wasn�t stupid and knew that already. Still, he lifted his
hand out and placed it lightly over the long-healed wound. Lavi jumped a little
at the touch. Yuu saw goosebumps go up the other man�s arms.

�� I was seven when
that happened,� Lavi said absently, no longer moving. Yuu moved his hand up to
the top of the other man�s shoulder and sat up until he was directly behind
Lavi. �I was on a battlefield, helping Bookman record for the eighth time, and
it just went through me. It blew me into a nearby explosion, and a piece of
shrapnel hit me in the eye. Bookman was terrified I was gonna die, that he was
gonna need a new apprentice. I was a lucky bastard, though. The bullet missed
everything vital, and they didn�t even need to take my eye out. It healed over
time, but my vision never did.�

�� Eye patch,� Yuu
murmured, and Lavi nodded.

�� Yeah, and I hated
it, but I couldn�t let my eye get infected�� His voice trailed off, and Yuu
frowned. Lavi shifted backward and grabbed Yuu�s hand, pulling at it until Yuu
was leaning against the other man�s back.

---

�� The touch of Yuu�s
open jacket against his back felt insanely good, but that was probably because
pretty much anything that had to do with the other man set him off lately. He
had had to consciously not look at
Yuu while he had demonstrated each exercise earlier that day. The proficiency
and perfection with which Yuu moved reminded Lavi of the many days he had
looked in on the other man as he trained. Seeing the almost elegant way with
which the man ran through exercise after exercise with sword, staff, weights,
and body was nearly enough to completely entrance Lavi. Even the boys had
noticed how distracted Lavi could get when staring at the Japanese man. They
had given him strange looks, and while he hadn�t cared, he didn�t want to lose
the fragile respect they had given him.

�� Still, he didn�t
think he could hold back much longer. His back was on fire, and it had
everything to do with the sun that was attached to it. His hand burned, too, so
he gripped Yuu�s even tighter.

�� I love you,� he
whispered. Yuu tentatively shifted his weight, and Lavi felt a hand on his
other shoulder. Lavi grabbed that, too. The heat grew�Lavi was being cooked.
Yuu would have rabbit for dinner. Which reminded Lavi that
they hadn�t had anything to eat.

�� Are you hung��

�� Yuu�s chin is on my shoulder, Lavi
realized. He turned his neck to face the other man somewhat. A low snore flew
from Yuu�s mouth and hit Lavi�s face. Lavi bit back a chuckle, though he could
not hide his amused smile. Only Yuu would
fall asleep after a heartfelt confession of love. Vaguely, Lavi wondered if
the other man had even been awake for that.

�� He lay the other man out properly, kissed him lightly on the
lips, and snuggled into the other man�s shoulder. He felt arms encircle his
waist, but soon after, the day took its toll on him, and he was falling�
asleep�

---

A/N: The book that Amanda recommended for Lavi was actually Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging (and series). Em2 loves those books�probably too
much. Don�t have anything else to say. Oh, and by the way, chapter 18 will be
epically smexy�if you catch our drift (which we think
you do) *wink wink nudge nudge*. Epic, we say. As
soon as we fix it to make it better. Okiessss off to dinnerrrrrr!
- 16
- 17
- 18
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Innocent Rain