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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
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Chapter 1�21^st Century Men

June 6, 2013

�� So what is a Golden Snitch?� Lavi asked
curiously as the five of them and Amanda sat down in the Order�s dining hall.

�� Oh,� said Amanda,
face brightening with the topic. �It�s this magical golden ball with wings used
in a fictional sport called Quidditch.�

Lavi stared at her. �Forget I asked,� he said blankly,
making a mental note to ask for a copy of whatever book that was from.

�� Lenalee, sitting
on his left side, picked lightly at her food, obviously having lost her
appetite. Lavi couldn�t blame her, but none of them had had more than a few
bites to eat during the thirty-six-hour-long battle against the Earl. And that
was before they had all been encased in their Innocence for 114 years. �Lenalee,
you should eat something. Just look at Allen,� he remarked, gesturing to the
boy sitting across from them, his body obscured by the piles of food in front
of him. Every once in a while, crumbs flew across the table, hitting their
faces or landing in their food. Amanda stared in wonder.

�� Never seen a
parasitic-type before?� Lavi asked, stuffing a forkful of tender steak into his
mouth.

�� No, I have, it�s
just the only other person who eats like that is Lolek,� she replied. Lolek,
Lavi repeated to himself. Sounded Polish. He vaguely wondered if the man was in
the room and scanned for another pile of plates. Seeing none, he turned back to
Amanda, giving her a questioning glance.

�� Oh, he�s off on a
mission,� she said, correctly interpreting Lavi�s expression. �Actually, we
were on a mission together, but we got separated halfway back. He�ll be back
soon enough, I wouldn�t worry.� Lavi wasn�t worried.

�� Kanda stood up
grimly, scoffing as he swept out of the room.

�� Wha�s wong wif
�im?� Amanda asked through an atrociously large mouthful of food.

�� He�s just angry
because the Order doesn�t serve Japanese food,� Lavi replied, taking another
bite. �I fink �e acshally misses Jewwy a bit.�

�� Who doesn�t?�
Lenalee whispered into her plate. Without meaning to, Lavi put his left hand on
her shoulder. Lavi understood. As much as he tried not to, he still missed
Bookman. The second after he had gotten the year from the Director, he had
understood the truth immediately. Not wanting to believe it, he had gone to
Hevlaska and asked her if she was keeping anyone else in her Innocence storage
units. She had responded negatively, and Lavi had to hold back the tears that
he wanted to promise himself weren�t about to spill from his eye.

�� Clearing her
throat, Amanda forced a smiling expression on her face. Then, surprisingly, her
eyes lit up in joy, and she waved someone over.

�� Mr. Darcy!� She
cried out in a horrible approximation of a British accent. �Come over here!�

�� An angry growl
echoed across the room, but a few moments later, someone sat on Lavi�s blind
side. Slightly irritated, Lavi turned his head to see the newest arrival. He
was Irish, Lavi noticed, with ginger-red hair much lighter than Lavi�s own. He
had green-grey eyes and freckles that stood out starkly against the palest skin
Lavi had ever seen. Overall, he looked absolutely nothing like the Darcy in
Jane Austen�s Pride and Prejudice.

�� I told you,� the
man said, outraged. �It�s O�Connell or at least Darce.�

�� Nope, not gonna
happen!� Amanda replied cheerfully. �Your name is Darcy. Blame your parents,
not me.�

�� I�d prefer not to
be compared to a fictional character, if you don�t mind,� Darcy replied in an
Irish lilt.

�� Hello, Mr.
Darcy!� Lavi crowed in a perfect imitation of Allen�s accent. �Lovely day out,
eh what?� The man turned his stony glare to his neighbor.

�� Haven�t seen you
before. What�s your name?� He asked suddenly.

�� Lavi. And over
there�y�see the kid behind the big pile o� plates? That�s Allen Walker.� He sounded as if he was divulging the world�s
biggest secret, stage whispering his comrade�s name into the other man�s ear.

�� WHAT!?� The Irish
man shouted out. �Don�t kid, kid,� he said.

�� No, it�s true,
Mr. Darcy,� Amanda said earnestly. She pulled Allen from behind his slowly
shrinking pile of food. �See?�

�� The other man
dropped his fork and stared. As the metal object hit the ground, the man
blinked then muttered �shit!� as he
bent down to pick it up.

�� Would you stop
making a spectacle out of me every time we see someone new, Lavi?� Allen asked,
his speech as polite as ever, even behind his annoyed tone.

�� Say, Mr. Darcy,
do you play cards?� Lavi asked pointedly, ignoring the kid. He loved Black
Allen.

�� Not much, but I
have a violin.�

�� Allen�s head shot
up from behind his pile.

�� Can I play?� He
asked urgently.

�� Sure,� Darcy
said. �Do you mind grabbing it, Amanda? I haven�t had anything to eat, or I�d
get it myself��

�� Anything for you,
Mr. Darcy,� Amanda said, trotting out of the room with a smirk on her face.
Lavi had the distinct impression that he would get along with her well.

�� Lenalee, still
stirring her food despondently around her plate, seemed to be in a world of her
own. Lavi knew she wouldn�t allow this otherwise, but he wanted to see how well
Allen could still control it. Lavi
himself wasn�t doing well with his own self-control, feeling things he
shouldn�t be allowing himself, so he was sure Allen might also be having
troubles.

�� Amanda ran back
into the room, breathless, but carrying a long, rectangular case. Allen quickly
grabbed it from her, pausing only to wipe his hands off on his pristine napkin.
His hands trembled slightly in anticipation as he opened the case. He pulled
the violin out carefully, resting it on the table before unhooking the bow.
Twisting the end deftly, he tightened the horse hair until it was roughly one
and a half centimeters from the polished wood. Reaching into a pocket of the
case, he pulled out a block of rosin. It was then that he paused.

�� Have you used
rosin recently?� He asked of Darcy. The man shook his head negatively, and
Allen proceeded to pull the block across the hair. Then, grabbing the violin,
he placed it on his left shoulder and brought the bow up. He closed his eyes,
which worried Lavi slightly, and began to play an Irish fiddle tune.

�� A moment later, he
began singing in an Irish accent.
Lavi�s heart clenched. He felt Lenalee tense next to him.

�� In the merry month of May, from my home I
started�� Allen sang. Lenalee pulled away from the bench and went over to
him. Grabbing his right hand, she stilled the bow before pulling it away from
him entirely. She snatched the violin from him, and when Allen continued to
sing, she put the violin on the bench next to Darcy and then turned back to
him. She slapped him across the face, hard enough that his head snapped to the
right. He immediately quieted.

�� What did I tell
you about music, Allen?� She hissed. Her voice was cold and without emotion.
Lavi knew how much it hurt her to do this, but he noticed Allen�s skin had
darkened, just slightly. Lavi knew, even though he couldn�t see Allen�s eyes,
that they had turned to the characteristic gold of the Noah that he was.

�� The boy blinked,
and when he turned back to Lenalee, looking sheepish, his skin and eyes had
regained their normal pigmentation. Lenalee glared, and then pulled his arm,
dragging him from the room.

�� Lavi looked back
at the two other Exorcists at the table, wondering how much they had noticed. Not much, he concluded after a moment.
Both seemed genuinely shocked by Lenalee�s reaction, rather than Allen.

�� Sorry about that.
Sometimes, when Allen plays music, Lenalee gets mad. It, er, reminds her of the
people we�ve lost.� He hoped no one would remark on why an Irish tune would bother the Chinese
girl, and thankfully, no one did.

�� There was an
uncomfortable silence that no one seemed to be able to break, and after a
minute, Miranda got up and left as well, probably going to see if Allen was
alright. The silence became even tenser as Lavi finished his steak, and he was
just thinking of flirting outrageously with the American girl across from him
to lighten the mood when the door slammed open.

�� There�s. Someone.
In. My. Room!� Kanda half roared, rage showing clearly through his dark eyes.
Amanda stood up, shocked.

�� That�s right! You
don�t have rooms!� She exclaimed, covering her mouth. Her eyes widened even
more. �Not to mention clean clothes.�

�� A bench scraped,
and Lavi looked around. One of the new director�s lackeys stood up. �Actually,�
he said. �Their effects and clothing are all stored up in the Director�s
office. One of the old directors had them put there.�

�� A second later,
Kanda strode over to the smaller man, lifting him up by the collar of his
shirt. �Is there a lotus flower in there?� He hissed. Lavi noticed the slight
panic in his voice, although he was sure that he was the only one who did.

�� I-I don�t know,�
the lackey said, clearly frightened. �There might be. Please don�t hurt me.� He
raised his hands up in surrender, and Kanda reluctantly let go. The man settled
to his feet with a big breath.

�� I can take you to
his office,� the lackey offered.

�� I know where it
is, bakayarou,� Kanda growled,
turning his back and storming from the room.

�� Taking this as his
cue to leave, Lavi nodded toward his new comrades, and shouted after Kanda,
�Wait for meee, Yuuuu-chaaaan!�

�� Kanda stiffened
and his gait slowed. �Don�t call me by my first name!� He yelled back.

�� But Yuuuuu!� Lavi
groused, falling into pace with the man.

�� Kanda growled but
relented as they walked quickly to the Director�s office. They passed Allen,
Lenalee, and Miranda on the way. They stared after the duo in shock, probably
wondering why they were walking so fast. Lavi knew the speed was the only
indication of Kanda�s panic but didn�t comment on it.

---

�� Luckily, Kanda�s
lotus flower was safe and sound, tucked in an out-of-the-way drawer with a note
on it, saying: �Hands off if you don�t want Kanda after your blood.� The
handwriting was messy in a familiar way, and since the paper was very yellow
with age, Lavi had to guess that it was from Komui. Certainly, since the lackey
had mentioned an old Director had put their things here, it had to be from the
crazy man. Underneath the drawer was a cabinet filled with clothes, but they
hadn�t lasted as well with age.

�� You should
probably get some new clothes anyway,� Amanda remarked. She had followed,
albeit more slowly, along with the others. �You�d all stick out like a sore
thumb in that shit.� She pointed a finger at Allen, who was inspecting one of
his better-preserved white shirts.

�� You�re probably
right,� Lenalee said, stroking a ruined dress sadly.

�� You�ll need some
new uniforms, too, as yours are� well, you can see the state of them for
yourselves, obviously.� All of their uniforms were heavily battle worn,
sporting scuffs, scorch-marks, and cuts all through them.

�� And they�ll need
their Innocence back, of course,� Kanda said irritably, holding the lotus flower
to his chest like a lifeline. Lavi saw his hand twitch to his side, as if
itching to activate Mugen. Lavi looked down at his familiar hammer holster and
remembered that Oodzuchi Kodzuchi hadn�t been in it the last time he�d checked.
Even Miranda seemed to be searching herself for her Innocence.

�� Oh, you guys
didn�t notice? I said you were encased in your Innocence, so I assumed you were
all crystal-types, like Lenalee.�

�� Understanding hit
Lavi like a blow from Bookman. He winced minutely at the thought. He�s dead, Lavi, get over it. He pulled
off his hammer holster and ripped the material of his pant leg. There was a red
mark there in the shape of his hammer. �Innocence, activate,� he said quietly.
Blood seeped from the mark and solidified into his hammer, which was only a few
shades redder than he remembered. Still, the shape was the same, and the weight
was familiar as he grabbed it from his leg. Turning to Kanda, who was a meter
to his left, he said, �guess we�re all crystal-type now, Yuu.�

�� Don�t call me by
my first name,� Kanda grunted before following suit and activating his
Innocence. A sheath appeared at his hip, and he swiftly put his lotus flower on
the ground before pulling the blade out with relief in his expression. Miranda,
too, followed suit, and the Time Record materialized before her eyes. Lavi had
been wondering what the small, red disk floating above her arm had been. Now he
had his answer. Next time, don�t be so
stupid, he scolded himself. He should have realized, but of course, he
hadn�t.

�� Well, we�ll need
a few hours to shop, and since the stores don�t close for a bit, why don�t we
go now?� Amanda said, interrupting the small Innocence-fest.

�� As they took the
lift down to the ground, Amanda chattered away with Lavi, and he caught up on
current events as best he could. They reached the bottom without incident, and
as they stepped out of the elevator, Amanda pulled something out of her pocket.
It was small and black, and something beeped as she pressed a button.

�� So, who wants to
ride shotty?� She asked as they neared whatever had made the noise. It was
shiny and black, and it had wheels, but Lavi hadn�t the slightest idea what it
was supposed to be.

�� Ride what?� Allen
asked, confused.

�� Amanda slapped her
forehead with the palm of her hand. �Who wants to ride up front?� She asked,
frustration layering her voice and making it deeper.

�� Ride what?� Allen repeated firmly.

�� Amanda repeated
the action and sighed. Aggravated, she said, �You guys have no idea what a
fucking car is, do you?�

�� Silence was all
the answer she needed.

�� Okay. Allen,
you�re up front. The rest of you can squeeze in the back. Make sure to buckle
up, �kay?� She pulled open the front door and got in. They all stood around,
confused.

�� Open the doors,
the car won�t eat you,� she said slowly, as if talking to a young child. To
Allen, she added, �go to the other side and get in over there.� They followed
her instructions, and after a minute, the car purred to life.

�� Don�t forget to
buckle up!� Amanda warned again. �I won�t be held responsible if we get in an
accident and you all fly through the windows.�

�� Is that likely?�
Miranda asked, her tone worried.

�� Only if you don�t
buckle up,� Amanda said, though Lavi was sure she was joking.

�� Lavi watched
Amanda carefully, waiting to see what this �buckle up� thing was. He saw her
reach to her right and pull down a chord of some sort. Then, reaching across
her lap and to her left, she secured it in place in some sort of rectangular
device, and a clicking sound followed. Lavi, assuming this was the action the
girl was referring to, quickly looked to his side. He had been lucky enough to
have a window seat. Kanda was next to him, and the two girls sat on the other
side, with Miranda at the window. Seeing the gray chord, he quickly mirrored
Amanda�s actions. Then, reaching over to the confused-looking Japanese man, he
fastened the other man�s chord into a rectangle, too.

�� There you go,
Yuu-chan! All buckled up!� Lavi exclaimed, lingering as close to the other man
as he could for full dramatic effect. Finally reaching back (he made sure to
brush his arm along the man�s chest as he did so), he settled into his seat,
waiting for the reaction. He wasn�t disappointed.

�� Kanda stiffened,
as if Lavi�s nearness was something foreign, unknown. It was a mark of how
shocked the other man was that he didn�t respond with his usual �don�t call me
by my first name, baka usagi.� The
others just stared. Lavi smirked inwardly. This was just too much fun!

�� Up front, Lavi
heard a distinct snort, followed by a giggle. He assumed the American girl had
been watching the show. Lavi even allowed a tiny, satisfied smile to sit on his
lips. It was unlike his usual careless, broad grin. It was genuine.

�� The other
Exorcists all followed Lavi�s example, and after they�d all secured the chords
around them, Amanda gave a big grin. All of a sudden, the car began to move at
an alarming speed.

�� For the love of
God and all that is holy, SLOW DOWN!� Allen shouted, knuckles turning white as
he grasped the edges of his seat.

�� What? We�re only
going a bit over fifty kilometers per hour!� Amanda responded.

�� Unheard-of
speed,� Allen muttered under his breath. Even trains barely made it that fast.

�� What are you
talking about? It�s so fucking slow! In America, I could drive sooo much
faster. Especially with the five-over rule: If you�re five over, it�s only a
warning! If they stop you, which they won�t.� She laughed maniacally, and Lavi
felt his stomach drop a bit. He was a bit afraid of this car thing they were
in, he had to admit.

�� Soon�not soon
enough for the Exorcists�they reached a street with an assortment of shops
lining it, and within minutes, they were inside, staring at the designs that
were popular these days.

�� These are so
lewd!� Lenalee commented, holding up a white, see-through shirt with no sleeves
and a scoop neck. The others nodded in general agreement. It would be a while
before they found something to their tastes.

�� A startled yell
came from a dressing room, and Miranda was suddenly pushed out of the door.
Attempting to cover her bare skin, she stepped toward her friends. Amanda
appeared behind her, curtain swishing as it closed.

�� I�m�I�m sorry!�
Amanda wailed. �I didn�t realize you�d be so embarrassed! But you look fucking
hot! All the guys are gonna be like, �holy shit, babe, come have some fun with
me.��

�� Lavi nodded in
agreement.

�� Miranda looked
horrified.

�� Amanda then busied
herself running around the store, searching for somewhat modest clothes for the
others. The group huddled close together, as if that would save them from the
immense culture shock they were now suffering.

�� Hey, Yuu, what
size pants do you wear?� Amanda yelled from across the store. Kanda, barely
three centimeters from Lavi�s left shoulder, immediately looked enraged, and
Lavi could hear mumbled Japanese curses. He stalked toward the loud girl, and
after a whispered conference, during which Lavi assumed many threats were
traded, Kanda walked back with a pair of pants. He entered the dressing room
that Miranda had just vacated, and Lavi tried not to pay attention to the
sounds as Kanda removed his Exorcist pants. Lavi heard a rustle of fabric that
he assumed was the other man pulling on his new wardrobe. A grunt emerged from
behind the curtain, and all movement stopped. Then it started again, and then
stopped. There was an irritated sigh.

�� They don�t fit,�
Kanda said grimly.

�� What! That�s
ridiculous! Of course they do,� Amanda said as she pushed past Lavi. Ripping
open the curtain, she quickly went over to the Japanese man, who was standing
with the pants half up his thighs. They were obviously quite stuck. She went
behind him, and without a moment�s hesitation, grabbed the waist of the clothing,
yanking it up sharply. Kanda winced as the pants chafed his�Lavi stopped that
thought dead in his mind. Amanda then reached around the man�s waist and
cheerfully did up his fly and button.

�� See?� She said,
all chipper. �I told you.� She patted his butt and walked back to admire her
handiwork. Lavi wasn�t quite sure, but he thought he saw suppressed tears in
the other man�s eyes. Still, Lavi had to admit, he looked� Lavi stopped his
thoughts again. He didn�t want to get a nosebleed. Damn, those pants are tight! He exclaimed in his mind. Shaking his
head slightly, he cleared his mind from the emotions bombarding it.

�� Oh. And what the fuck was with those briefs?� Amanda
asked incredulously. She turned to the other male Exorcists. �You guys are all boxer boys. Well, maybe not Allen,�
she amended.

�� Oi!� Allen
exclaimed, outraged.

�� Jus� sayin�,�
Amanda said as she grabbed Kanda�s hand and pulled him to the men�s department.
�You come, too, Lavi!� She shouted over her shoulder. Amused, Lavi followed.

---

�� Three hours and
five well-dressed Exorcists later, they reached the car. Collapsing onto the
seat with exhaustion, Lavi could only sigh in relief that this horrifying
excursion was over. The boxers felt weird. Amanda turned around in her seat.

�� Y�all hungry?�
She asked, showing none of the fatigue the others did.

�� Allen�s stomach
gave out a large, affirmative growl, and Amanda laughed. �I�ll take that as a
yes, then,� she said. Her eyes widened and sparkled with mischief, and Lavi
found himself wondering what else she could possibly throw at them.

�� Let�s get
McDonald�s, then,� she said, putting the car in reverse.

�� Mc�I�m sorry,
what?� Allen asked. His stomach growled again, though, signifying that anywhere
with food would probably do.

�� The golden arches
in the shape of an �m� stood almost ominously over the building. Lavi could
smell grease, so strong it threatened to turn his stomach. Amanda didn�t seem
to notice, though, and she led the group of uneasy Exorcists into the
restaurant.

�� The inside was
noisy and crowded, and Lavi immediately lost Kanda�s position, no longer able
to hear his swift, sharp movements. For some reason, this distressed him, but
he ignored it, instead pausing his stride until the man passed ahead of him.
Keeping behind and to the right of Kanda, he moved forward once more. Amanda
looked back, probably wondering where Lavi had disappeared to, and when she saw
him, she shot him a half-smile. It seemed almost� knowing. What am I missing? Lavi thought, horrified.

�� Allen, since
you�re so hungry, you go first,� Amanda said. �Just choose something on the
menu up there�I suggest the Big Mac, personally.� She giggled a bit.

�� What are
�fries�?� He asked after a moment. Amanda sighed.

�� Just let me,� she
said. She leaned up to the counter and added to the employee, �I�ll have ten
Big Macs, six large fries, and three soft drinks.�

�� Allen looked at
her. �And what are you going to eat?� He asked.

�� The employee
looked stunned. �You�re going to eat all that, kid?� She asked incredulously.

�� Well, yeah. Of
course,� He replied blankly. The employee gave him a doubting look, but at
Amanda�s glare, she put the order in.

�� Let�s see� for
me, I�ll have the fish fingers, and fries and a drink from the dollar menu. The
girls will have a double cheeseburger and a medium fry apiece, with drinks. The
redhead�ll have the Chicken Legend value meal, and the Asian�ll have a happy
meal.�

�� I�ll have a
salad, thanks,� Kanda interjected coldly.

�� So you�ve got ten
Big Macs, six large fries, three soft drinks, fish fingers, a small fry, and a
drink, two double cheeseburgers, two mediums fries, and two drinks, a Chicken
Legend value meal, and a salad,� the employee summarized.

�� Yup, that�s about
it,� Amanda said, grinning. The employee reached under the counter and produced
seven cups as Amanda handed over a shiny, plastic rectangle. Lavi noticed a
long string of numbers on it and quickly committed them to memory. He didn�t
know if he�d need them later or not, but it was good to know, just in case.

�� They all settled
down to eat a few minutes later, the employees staring intently at Allen�s pile
of burgers. Lavi saw currency being passed between them, and he assumed they
had a bet going on as to whether he could finish it or not. Lavi grinned; he
wondered which employee would be getting all the money.

�� Allen dug in at
once, but after he finished his first burger, he paused. Lavi gaped. Allen
never paused while eating.

�� This is
horrible,� he said before continuing to stuff his face. Lavi snickered.

�� That�s our
Allen!� He crooned, winking at the boy.

�� Itadakimasu,� Kanda muttered next to
him, his hands clapped together. Then, awkwardly holding the plastic fork, he
began to eat his less-than-appetizing salad. He grimaced, but that was all the
indication he gave that the food wasn�t to his liking.

�� Amanda dug in with
gusto, and Lavi, Lenalee, and Miranda followed suit. Lavi instantly regretted
it. It was as greasy as the establishment smelled. Still, he was hungry, and
since Amanda had obviously treated them, he was determined to finish.

�� Across from him,
Allen was already working on his fries and was on his last soft drink. Within a
minute, even those were gone, and he began to stare idly out the window as he
waited for everyone else to finish. There was little conversation, save for the
few admonitions from the other Exorcists when Allen stole little bits of their
food. Lenalee went as far as to slap his wrist in mock offense. Soon, he began
to stare out the window again, thinking of who-knew-what. Lavi shrugged and
turned back to the others, who had slowed down enough to make conversation.

�� As he swallowed
the last bite of his chicken sandwich and wiped his hands off on a paper
napkin, Lavi looked back over at Allen and was horrified to see that he was
tapping something with one hand. Absentmindedly, he brought another hand up,
and Lavi realized that he was moving his fingers as he would to play the piano
controlling the Ark. Another moment and Lavi noticed that the finger pattern
matched the Ark�s melody, and he immediately brought his hand up and snapped it
in front of the boy�s eyes.

�� Oi, Fourteen!� He
said. Allen jumped and looked into Lavi�s eye.

�� What?�

�� Lavi cast his mind
around for a way to get out of the room to somewhere private. �I gotta take a
piss, come with me.� With that, he got up and pulled the smaller boy with him.

�� As they walked
off, he heard Amanda comment, �wow, and I thought only girls needed company to
go to the bathroom.�

�� Lavi looked over
his shoulder and winked. �We�re not just using the bathroom, Amanda,� he said
before turning back and practically hauling Allen into the room with him. He
wasn�t sure, but he thought he heard a low growl as the door closed. He could
almost imagine Kanda�s corresponding glare in his direction.

�� L-Lavi,� Allen
stammered. �What�s wrong?�

�� You were doing it again, Allen. That�s the second time
today. The last time you had a slip like that was right after you changed. I
know it may be harder to control now, since you haven�t had to really do it
while we were encased in our Innocence, but you know what they�ll do to you if
they find out.� Lavi felt a strange emotion constrict his chest and wondered
vaguely what it was. Worry, his mind
told him before he promptly drove the unwanted emotion behind the wall in front
of his heart.

�� Allen looked
stricken. �I�thank you, Lavi,� he said, his voice quiet with shame.

�� It�s fine; just
make sure you control it.�

�� Allen nodded, and
Lavi pulled him into a quick, manly hug that was more back slapping than actual
hugging.

�� Good, now let�s leave
before Yuu gets jealous of us,� he said. That brought a smile back to the
younger boy�s face.

�� Yeah, I don�t
want to have to face Mugen,� Allen joked back.

�� You and me both, Moyashi,� Lavi said, doing his best
impression of the Japanese Exorcist�s voice and accent. Allen stopped and
gaped.

�� Good impression,�
he complimented. Lavi basked under the praise. He was sure Bookman would have
said the same thing. His heart constricted, but he denied the emotion, and it
was soon gone.

�� That was quick!�
Amanda commented as they sat back down. �Thought you boys�d be at it longer.�

�� Yeah, well, we
haven�t done that in a while. You know how things like that go. Old Allen just
couldn�t contain himself.�

�� Amanda laughed
heartily, throwing her head back with genuine amusement. Allen blushed
mightily. Ah, to tease a virgin, Lavi
thought exuberantly.

�� They finished
their meals soon after that and walked back to the car. Allen looked like the
food hadn�t sat well with him, but as Lavi was feeling the same, he didn�t comment
on it. They took their seats the second the doors were unlocked, and as they
pulled out, Amanda frowned into the rearview mirror.

�� It�s a bit too
quiet, don�tcha think?� She asked, twiddling with one of the black dials on the
dashboard. Abruptly, music began playing.

�� Everyone blanched,
Lavi included.

�� What� what is this?� Miranda gasped out. Lenalee
looked horrified.

�� It�s called Baby Got Back,� Amanda replied
nonchalantly.

�� It�s�it�s�disgusting!� Lenalee blurted out.

�� Welcome to the
twenty-first century, babe.�

�� Allen, face as
white as Lavi�s own, fiddled desperately with the dials, finally coming to rest
on a piece everyone could recognize. The four notes of the very beginning of
the first movement, so famous even after just over 200 years, rang clearly
through the radio.

�� Lavi looked at
Allen�s back, but he could see no telltale signs of the Noah within him.
Apparently, Allen�s control had become rock solid again, and Lavi relaxed.
Lenalee, on the other hand, was not as observant, and after a moment, she told
Amanda to change the station, that she didn�t like this song.

�� No, Lenalee,�
Allen said softly, and the girl looked stricken. �I�m perfectly fine; I�m in
control right now. I�ve always liked listening to music�this won�t affect me.�

�� Lenalee nodded
reluctantly, but her eyes betrayed the worry that she felt for the other
Exorcist. Amanda shot a suspicious look back, but Lavi just smiled broadly and
winked at her.

�� So, I noticed
that you�ve got a very dirty mouth,� he said conversationally, hoping his
attempt to change the subject didn�t sound ubrupt.

�� Yeah, well, I�m
American,� she responded, as if that explained everything.

�� None of the
Americans I knew swore worse than
Yuu.�

�� Yeah, well,
Americans back then were pussies.�

�� Yes, Lavi thought. I�m definitely going to get
along with this girl.

---

�� Once back at
headquarters, the Director assigned them rooms, but Kanda steadfastly refused
any but his own. Lavi and Allen followed him warily as he strode swiftly down
the brightly-lit hallways�Lavi would have to discover what was illuminating
them some other time�and toward his ever-familiar quarters. They�d all been
assigned to this section of Headquarters, and Lavi was actually assigned next
to Kanda�s old room, but he had to admit that perhaps the other man was being a
bit over-sensitive about the issue. He was walking ahead of the rest of them,
looking upon everyone and everything else with a disdainful expression, his
hand resting lightly on Mugen�s hilt. Lavi vaguely wondered why he would have
activated his Innocence and immediately came to the conclusion that he wanted
to look more threatening. As it was, everyone they encountered shrunk back
fearfully as the Asian Exorcist walked past. Lavi and Allen shot them
apologetic looks as they followed their friend.

�� As he reached his
room, the Finder currently residing in it had the unfortunate coincidence of
leaving the room. This isn�t going to end
well, Lavi noted. Kanda raged toward the bewildered man, whose face held a
shock that would have been almost comical had the situation not been so grave.
Grabbing the Finder�s collar, he roughly shoved the man into the wall.

�� That�s my room,�
he said icily.

�� Suddenly, Allen
was at his side, and he grabbed Kanda�s wrist tightly with his right hand.

�� Kanda,� he
half-growled. �Let that Finder alone.�*

�� The Japanese man
froze and stared down at the younger Exorcist. Lavi noted a glint of
uncertainty in Kanda�s eyes. Was it fear? Perhaps. No one was quite sure how
powerful the Fourteenth could be, and Allen could be damn well scary when he was enraged. They�d
discovered this over the three years after the Ark incident had occurred.
Still, Kanda glared back for a long, tense moment before roughly releasing the
Finder he held fast against the wall. Lavi noticed the Finder settle back down
on his feet, as if he�d been lifted off them in the force of Kanda�s silent
rage. Pulling his arm out of Allen�s strong grip, Kanda walked silently into
his old room.

�� I�m sorry,� Allen
said, turning to the Finder. �I don�t know why, but it seems very important to
Kanda to have this room. Please excuse his behavior; he was way out of line.�

�� The Finder, too
dumbstruck from what had just happened, simply nodded before walking off,
trembling slightly. Allen turned and followed the man, but Lavi stayed at the
open door to Kanda�s room and peeked inside. Kanda was stooped on the ground,
shaking heavily with emotion, it was one that Lavi was sure wasn�t anger.
Slipping away, Lavi dropped Kanda�s bags of clothes and his lotus flower in the
doorway before stepping inside his new room.

---

A/N

So� there�s chapter 1. From now on, it gets serious� seriously. There
were many references and inside jokes that went into this chapter, and there
will be more, but from now on, the plot starts to form.� The chapters probably will get longer, too.
We tried to do Lavi�s point of view as best as we could. He�s got a very
analytical mind and he notices everything.
So we really wanted to capture that. Also, if you take a closer look, notice
how Lavi always knows exactly how far Kanda is from him at all times� Emily 1
and I got a real kick out of that. ;P Also, we�re editing this together, but we
don�t have a beta, so if anything slips through, please forgive us our
mistakes!

*For those of you who don�t recognize this, this is from
TehExorcist�s DGM Abridged Series. Look it up on youtube. It�s great.
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Innocent Rain