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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
- 25
- 26
- 27
Chapter 26�We�re Not Gonna Take it Anymore

�� He was waiting.
He, Lieutenant General Carter Williams, was waiting. He had been waiting for hours. He felt like he was waiting for a
death sentence. He only hoped the Cardinals wouldn�t find Kanda and Lavi, but
deep down, he knew they would. So he wasn�t surprised when the Cardinals came
in, looking incensed.

�� Director,� The
lead Cardinal addressed him coarsely, �What kind of Order are
you running here?�

�� Umm�
a good one?� He questioned, trying to sound innocent.

�� Well, it doesn�t
appear like that to us. We�ve arrested two Exorcists for blatant heresy.�
Carter felt his blood run cold, though his only outward sign was a raised
eyebrow.

�� What are you
going to do to them?� He asked, trying to sound disinterested.

�� We are going to
complete our investigation, and then we are going to take them with us.�

�� Investigation?
I thought this was a routine inspection.�

�� We�ve had some�
concerns brought to our attention by the Grand Marshalls.�

�� Indeed? Well, why
don�t I make your investigation easier?� He picked up the intercom phone and
spoke evenly and calmly into it.

�� All
Generals to my office immediately. Road, you too.�
A moment later, a door appeared and all six of them walked through.

�� Where are
Kanda-kun and Lavi?� Lenalee asked, surveying the room.

�� That�s why I�ve
called you here. We have a major situation��

�� Why are there Noahs here?� The lead Cardinal demanded accusingly,
pointing at Allen, Lenalee, and Road.

�� Well, if you had
read my report that I sent you weeks
ago, you would know the answer,� Carter replied gruffly. �Road has betrayed the
Earl, and Allen and Lenalee are the Heart of the Innocence�which is part of
Noah.� He finished his explanation overtop of the lead Cardinal�s annoying
nasal voice.

�� Director!
Where are Kanda-kun and Lavi!� Lenalee insisted in a
yell. Another Cardinal turned to her.

�� You mean the
homos?�

�� Carter felt a
surge of rage rush through his stomach. He heard a sharp crack �as Lenalee�s fist impacted the face of
the Cardinal who had just spoken.

�� Don�t you ever call them that again!
You have no idea how much they need one another!� Allen was physically
restraining her as she went at the Cardinal again, Innocence forgotten. �Where are they!?� She screamed.

�� Never mind them,
now we have to arrest you. They can stay there a few days�by order of the
Church, you are��

�� Lenalee remembered
her Innocence at the same time she broke free of Allen�s strong grasp, and she
collided, Innocence fully activated, with the man�s face. He went down, nose
broken and bleeding profusely. Lenalee used her other leg to knee him squarely
in the side of the stomach, and a moment later, a third kick that threw the man
several yards back connected with his groin.

�� You will tell me
where they are,� she hissed, tears falling from her eyes. Carter knew
immediately that they were of anger.

�� The Cardinals
shuffled back uneasily, but they held their ground. Lenalee went to hit the
next one with a solid kick. Thankfully, Allen was behind her again, pinning her
arms to her sides and pulling her to the ground where she could not use her
Dark Boots.

�� I�ve got a better
idea, Lenalee, we�ll look for them ourselves, and then we�ll leave,� Allen said
firmly, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. Secretly, Carter thought
it was a fabulous idea. From the general looks of agreement on the other
Exorcists� faces, it was a common thought.

�� You can�t leave,�
the lead Cardinal wheezed weakly from the floor.

�� Watch us,� Cyrah
growled, unleashing her Innocence and driving them from the room. �I assume
we�ll be quartering in the Ark, then, Walker?�

�� Allen nodded,
stunned that his suggestion had actually been taken. �Why� do you want to
leave?� He asked disbelievingly.

�� You�re not the
only one who despises this organization, Bean
Sprout,� Cyrah said critically. �They just get in our way, with their politics and their bigotry.�

�� We have the
Coalition to support us now,� Tamas chipped in. �They will provide us with a
budget, and really, as long as we get guns, food, and clothing, we�ll be pretty
much self-sufficient.�

�� I can take the
Ark�s anchor from its position here. Where should I�?�

�� We need to find
Kanda-kun and Lavi!� Lenalee insisted from the floor, Allen still holding her
down. He nodded sharply and turned to Carter.

�� Director, I need
you to get everyone who�s coming into the Ark.�

�� Carter nodded. That
was his role in this situation. Turning on the full intercom�the one that
reached into the Exorcists� rooms and the training rooms�he quickly outlined
the situation. His words were brief. �The Vatican is no longer supportive of
this Order. We�re leaving. Those of you who wish to
come, get into the Ark. You have three hours. Take everything�we won�t ever be
coming back. Those of you who don�t wish to come, get
the hell out, go back to your families. Enjoy the rest of your lives.�

�� He hadn�t meant it
to sound that critical, but this was war, and if they weren�t
in the protection of the Ord�no, the Ark�then they
would most likely die. They would die with those self-same families
they�d be going home to. And somehow, Carter just couldn�t bring himself to
care.

�� He nodded to the
Generals and Road. �I�ll have someone clear out my office and load it onto the
Ark. I�m coming to search with you.�

�� Allen and Lenalee
nodded in unison, their motion completely synched. Perhaps Carter had a second
role, too.

---

�� He descended down
another floor. He had been searching for three hours. At the beginning, he had
tried searching the entire floor, but he had soon realized that wasn�t quick
enough. Now, he simply called out in hopes that someone would answer.

�� By order of the
Cardinals, I�ve been sent down here to relieve one of you!� He shouted down the
corridor, but as usual, there was no response. He was lucky he had his night
vision lens, otherwise he wouldn�t be able to see at
all. All around him was dark, a blackness so dense it
seemed impossible that light had ever existed.

�� Sighing, he
continued in his downward search. Another hour passed, then another. Had it
really been five hours since he had seen the beautiful moment in the library? Apparently so. He wanted to check his watch, but the light
on the digital screen was burnt out from frequent use.

�� He called out his
line, his mantra, one more time, and this time, his heart beat in relief as
someone answered.

�� Are they letting
them go now?� A young voice asked, quivering in what the photographer
identified as fear. Immediately, he ran toward the voice. As they came into the
view of his camera, he was able to identify them as two of the ten bodyguards
the Cardinals had brought with them. Maybe it wasn�t his place, but they seemed
kind of like altar boys, only older. They were even dressed in scarlet frocks.

�� Are they both in
there?� The photographer asked, hoping for the best.

�� No, the
black-haired one�s down the hall. This one was screaming, but he went quiet
about four hours ago, maybe longer. We couldn�t leave�we�re too afraid of what
they might do to us, or our families.� From the terrified look in the boys�
eyes the photographer knew he wasn�t lying.

�� He stepped back.
�What?� He asked. The photographer had known from the instant he�d stepped foot
inside the Order that there were many corrupt policies residing inside, but
this was ridiculous.

�� I�m gonna go get help, but I need to check on Kanda first. The
redhead, I think, is the saner of the two.�

�� Are you sure?
Some of the things he was screaming� shit, man, I don�t even know half those
languages. Spent a ridiculous amount of time shouting in Latin, though, as if
we could understand it�� The young guard grimaced.

�� The photographer
ran down the hall, but the longer he ran, the longer it seemed to take. He
didn�t know how long he�d gone, but finally, he saw other people in sight. He
stopped in front of them, feeling as if he had just run a football field, or a
mile. Whichever was longer. These two boys looked far
more terrified than the others.

�� Are you here to
let him out?� Said the one on the right, breaking rank and
bumbling over in the dark to try to throw himself on the photographer.

�� What�s going on?�
The photographer asked.

�� There was this
crazy noise going on, like chains being rattled too quickly, and it just kept goin� and goin� for, like, three
or four minutes, or maybe longer. We think he was having an episode or somethin�. He got really quiet afterward�before that he�d
been screamin�, especially when he got locked up.
Called out in all kinds of languages, mostly Chinese or something��

�� No, it wasn�t Chinese.
Chinese sounds a bit more� throaty. I dunno what it
was, though. Whatever kind of Asian he is, I�d bet.�

�� In any other
situation, the photographer would have laughed. But now was not the time, nor
would that time be coming soon. �Do you have the keys?� He asked.

�� No, they don�t
trust us��

�� Which is obvious, �cause we want �im
outta there right now.�

�� Do you have a
cell phone?� The photographer asked. The two green-tinged boys in his night
vision lens shook their heads.

�� No, we don�t get
any reception down here. Too much metal, too much lead.
I think these used to be bomb shelters.�

�� The photographer
clucked disapprovingly. How was he supposed to help the Exorcists if they
didn�t have the fucking keys, if he couldn�t fucking
call them down? How was he supposed to�Allen. Lenalee. The other Generals.
Director Williams. They would help, right? Maybe even that weird Noah
chick? The photographer muttered a quick, �I�ll get help, just hold on,� and
ran pell-mell down the narrow hall, hitting the metal doors and scraping his
skin as he headed toward the elevator. He got to it and pressed the up button
almost wildly. He was in a panic so deep that he couldn�t even make his hand
work right, and it took him several seconds to depress the button enough to
send a bright flare of the dim orange light into the darkness.

�� And then he
waited. It was the longest minute and a half that he�d ever experienced. He
cursed himself for not having charged his cell phone, not that it would have
worked anyway. Still, he would waste precious seconds after stepping off the�

�� ALLEN! LENALEE!� He yelled, bypassing the Cardinal who was trying
to discreetly step into the elevator. He couldn�t see the two Exorcists he was
searching for, but if he kept screaming out their names, they would be
attracted eventually, right? �ALLEN! LENALEE!�

�� He went up maybe
two or three flights of stairs when he finally saw the youngest General�s white
hair, coupled with General Lee�s dark black locks. Surprisingly, Director
Williams was with them, as was the Noah known as Road Kamelot.

�� I found them!� He
yelled, and the four people turned around, staring at him as if they didn�t
quite believe him. �The bomb shelters! Bottom floor!
Hurry, I think there�s a Cardinal going down there right now!�

�� Allen stared at
him. �You�ve got a video camera, right?�

�� That was the only
time the photographer shut the camera off during the entire proceedings. He
nodded and rewound the film to show the white-haired General Lavi�s cell. A
moment later, there was a gate, and they stepped through, passing into the
sinister, oppressive depths of the Dark Order.

�� The Cardinal was
already at the locks of Lavi�s cell as they entered the now crowded hallway.

�� Crowned
Clown!� Allen shouted, and his snow white Innocence formed, emanating a
pure, golden glow. Lenalee activated hers as well, and the two of them took
down the Cardinal before he could get over the momentary blindness caused by
the light from the Ark.

�� I�ve got the
keys, Allen!� Lenalee said as she took them from the Cardinal�s motionless
hand. Turning to the photographer, who already had his camera going again, she
added, �which way is it?�

�� The photographer
responded with a quick, �down the hallway�at the very end.�

�� She dashed off,
just as the photographer had thought she would, in the direction of Kanda�s
cell. She was the fastest of them, thanks to her Dark Boots, and when
concentrating very hard, could reach near the speed of sound, if not faster.
There was a crash to the photographer�s side as Allen ripped the heavy, metal door from its hinges and threw it aside. It
landed next to the Cardinal, which the photographer thought was bad aim. He
pointed his camera into the room, and the sight before him nearly washed the
light from his world completely.

�� It was Lavi in
there, shackled to the ground, curled up on the freezing stone floor. He was
shivering, and even in the camera�s green-tinged lens, the photographer
understood that his lips were the wrong color. He probably had hypothermia.
Dust covered his hair and bare chest�the Ark and Headquarters were both kept at
very warm temperatures, and it was common to go about in a tee-shirt and pants
or less. He stared out into space, simply quivering, reminding the photographer
of a little child.

�� A pool of blood,
mostly dried but still wet in places, surrounded his very badly scabbed hands,
which were also among the palpable layer of dust. Allen rushed in and tore the
shackles from the ground with his overly-strong left arm. Lavi didn�t react at
all.

�� Goddammit,� the boy General hissed. �C�mon, Lavi, Kanda�s
going to beat you if you do this to him again. You don�t want that, right? You
want to go up to him with that annoying smile of yours and say, �hey,
Yuu-chan,� right, Lavi?� Still, the redhead did not respond. Dragging him up
from the ground didn�t help. Lavi simply fell back down again, as if he were a
pile of goo.

�� They heard
footsteps, and when they turned, the photographer didn�t need his night vision
camera to see the soft light emanating from Lenalee�s Innocence. Behind her,
steps shaky and very unsteady, almost tottering, was Kanda. His eyes, once they
got close enough for the photographer to see, were vacant. Something was
crusted about his chin, and his wrists were bleeding openly. The sheer number
of scars on the man�s naked chest nearly covered the blue-ish
hue.

�� The photographer
nearly dropped the camera. �They�re both hypothermic,� he said urgently. �You
need to get them warm. Now. Lavi�s not responding, and
that can indicate stage three. From the way Kanda�s moving, I�d guess the
same.�

�� How?�
Lenalee asked, worry lacing her voice.

�� Hospital.
Allen, you need to��

�� They won�t do it.
Kanda won�t, and Lavi doesn�t trust the medical facilities here after��

�� What�s the next
best option?� Lenalee asked loudly, interrupting Allen.

�� The photographer
thought for a second, forcing his thoughts through his panic-ridden brain, but
he couldn�t think of anything.

�� Get them in the shower, get all the male, parasitic-types with you�you all
run higher temperatures. Share body heat,� Director Williams responded quickly,
speaking for the first time since they�d gotten down here.

�� For the severity
of the situation, Allen seemed perfectly capable of making a joke. �You mean I
have to be naked? With them?
Alone? In a shower?�

�� Lenalee slapped
him. There wasn�t much strength behind it, though. �Just get them in the shower
already, Allen! I don�t care if you have to put things in places, they�re not
dying!�

�� Allen blushed
mightily but created another portal right into the Ark�s bathroom. He�d become
proficient at creating temporary doors once he�d discovered the ability, and
they acted much like Road�s doors did, connecting dimensions from far off. He
let his claw revert back into his left hand and tossed Kanda and Lavi in the
shower. They both collapsed on the tile. Lenalee ran off to get Lolek and
Justin.

�� The photographer
forgot he even had the camera going as he watched the scene unfold. Road
created a door to go down to Hevlaska�s chamber. Perhaps having their Innocence
back would help them somewhat. The two hypothermic Exorcists were stripped down
and thrown together as water poured down their backs. Still, they didn�t move,
even as Allen made a face and removed his shirt. The photographer didn�t need
to document the rest, so he waited for Lenalee to return.

�� It took them a
long time to warm even slightly. Perhaps an hour after they�d begun the shower,
Kanda began to blink a bit with awareness, though it was not much. Road, it
turned out, could not return the Innocence to them, as it was crystal type and
responded only to their blood.

�� When they�d
finally been warmed enough to cease the shaking most of the way, they were
brought down, huddling in thick, warm blankets, to Hevlaska. She returned their
Innocence without further ado, looking relieved that she hadn�t actually been
forced to revert it back to elemental form.

�� Lavi�s hands
stopped oozing blood, and the scabs disappeared as the lines of Innocence returned.
Eventually, they were thrown on their bed in the Ark, dressed in two identical
pairs of Darcy�s woolen pajamas and covered in a huge plethora of blankets.
Warm water was left on a burner on their bedside table for when they awoke. The
two still sported bright blue lips, but their cores were both warm enough now
to allow them to share body heat alone. A small wonder, Allen commented dryly to
the photographer.

�� He followed the
other Exorcists as they went into the Musician�s room. Apparently, Road had
convinced Hevlaska to come, and everyone else was on the Ark. Grimly, Allen released the anchor to Headquarters and moved
the Ark elsewhere.

---

�� Allen Walker was never
going to take a shower again. He did not like showers with a total of six men
stuffed into a place that could hold maybe two. Especially
when he was stuffed in the middle of it all. Sighing, he picked up his
cell phone and dialed the number of the American President. He figured it was
the most courteous thing he could do, seeing as he had parked the Ark above his
house. Without permission.

�� The President�s
personal cell phone rang three times before a chipper voice answered, �Barack.�

�� Oh, you�re
awake?� Allen asked, surprised.

�� Uh, who� is
this?� The President asked slowly.

�� Allen Walker. I�m
above you right now, mind if I come in?�

�� Uh�
sure?�

�� Allen quickly
created a door to the Oval Office. Stepping inside, he saw a groggy
President sitting behind his desk, reviewing files and sipping a large,
steaming coffee. He looked up, sending Allen a confused look.

�� Why are you
soaking?� He asked. Allen shrugged inwardly. It was a legitimate question.

�� Funny story,
that�� Allen said, smiling in a too-casual way. �Kind of why we�re here,
actually.�

�� Again, he was shot
a confused look, almost as if the President was too astounded by his appearance
at four in the morning to form a coherent question.

�� We, er, left the Order.�

�� Come again?�

�� Allen poked his
head back through the door and motioned for the other Exorcists to come in
through the portal. Lolek, Darcy, and Justin were all in similar states of
undress and wetness, though the ginger man cookie sported a luridly pink towel
over his shoulders. Allen suspected Amanda�s interference. Sure enough, she
stepped in after him, carrying another pink towel. Road walked in after them,
and the others followed until all the Exorcists were standing in the office.

�� Where is Mr.
Kanda?� Barack asked, scanning the crowd.

�� Er, yeah, about that� remember how I said we left the
Order? Well, they were kind of the last straw.�

�� They?�

�� Him
and Lavi. They�re together�I think Lavi was mentioned a few times last
time we were here�and the Cardinals are under the impression that sodomy equals
heresy. Apparently, they take St. Augustine�s doctrine too seriously. Ha. That
was before they saw us.�

�� He saw Barack
flinch as he saw the stigmata that graced Allen�s forehead. Barack�s stare went
to Lenalee and then Road. �Isn�t that�?�

�� We have a lot to
explain. It appears that no one got the memo. Perhaps there was interference on
the other side? I think we should have the world leaders here for this.
There�s� a video you should see, too. We need you on our side. The Vatican is
not pleased with our decision. It�s their fault, though. It�s been a long time
coming.�

�� Barack knitted his
eyebrows. �I don�t quite follow.�

�� Well, I could
list to you what they�ve done to me personally, and that would be enough, but I
don�t think that works, really. There have been worse things�personal things,
of course, like how they took us, how they kept us here.� He sent a grimace
over to Lenalee, who nodded back in understanding. �It�s not surprising we
wanted to leave. Honestly, we should have left centuries ago. Kanda and Lavi
were the last straw, though.�

�� What happened,
exactly?� Barack questioned, leaning forward and putting his files down. He
took a sip of his coffee, reminding Allen briefly of Komui.

�� We don�t� know.
The only clear fact is that they spent five hours locked up in the basement of
the Order with no lights, no heat, and no shirts. We know that Kanda was
chained to the wall and Lavi was chained to the floor. They were in separate
cells�Kanda�s seemed to be a storage room of some sort, while Lavi�s was a bunk
room. We also know that they had their Innocence confiscated. All this because
they were seen lying down on a couch together,� Allen explained softly, his
voice slightly monotone. �Our photographer is bringing a video of it all. If he
hadn�t followed them� well, there was a Cardinal down there. Kanda and Lavi
could be dead now. Not mentioning personal relationships, the entire war would
have fallen to the enemy if they had been killed. They�re both incredibly
powerful, second only to me and Lenalee. And we cheated.�

�� You cheated?�
There was some interest in the President�s hushed voice.

�� We�re the Heart
of the Innocence, me and Lenalee,� Allen responded nonchalantly, shrugging. The
President made a hmmming noise but otherwise
remained quiet on the subject.

�� You have yet to
explain why you�re wet,� he commented.

�� Well, Kanda and
Lavi had hypothermia. Kanda� doesn�t do hospitals. Or touching, not that he had
a choice here. But he was a bit too out of it to notice. We had to get them
warm somehow. All parasitic-types have insanely high metabolisms, so we run a
good bit warmer than the others. It was a bit of a male bonding moment,
actually.� Allen tried to smile, but it fell flat, just like his joke had. This
was no time to be laughing.

�� Are they okay?�

�� They�ve never
been okay,� Amanda said softly from behind Allen. All attention focused on her.
�What? Have you guys not seen Kanda�s
scars? Those aren�t just from being an Exorcist. Was everyone too drunk to
remember his outburst after we watched the video about A-Artemis? And Lavi! Do
you all not realize how fucking unstable
he is!? He breaks down every time Kanda is gone! They love each other, but
they�re both fucking nuts�and I don�t blame them! Road won�t talk about it, but
she�s seen their dreams, and she�s thrown up most mornings after that! I would
know! I�m the one holding her hair back!�

�� Her outburst was
met with a stunned silence. Thankfully, it was broken a moment later as the
photographer walked in. �Are you guys ready to see it?� He asked. Allen grinned
guiltily.

�� Let me get the
other world leaders. I�ll be back in a bit.�

�� They all came
willingly, especially after Allen had explained why.

�� Their faces all
grew shocked the longer the video played on, going from the scene on the couch
until the rescue and consequent shower.

�� You said that was
the last straw?� One of the politicians asked in highly accented English. Allen
recalled her as the German Chancellor.

�� Lenalee nodded.
�Perhaps we should all give them our personal reasons for leaving the Order?�
There was a general murmur of agreement. �Mr. Leslie, would you be so kind as to record this, too?�

�� The photographer
nodded.

�� I suppose I�ll
begin, then,� Allen said. �My younger life didn�t have anything to do with the
Order, and even though my Master was possibly the most disgusting piece of shit
on the planet, he still taught me well. Nothing was a problem until they
discovered that I was the Musician�s host. I was basically thrown out of the
Order, though they made it seem like I was still an Exorcist. They tried me for
heresy�or tried to. They� only kept me around because I was prophesized as the
Destroyer of Time.� He reported all this with only an ironic smile and a
matter-of-fact tone. It was only so that he could keep the betrayal out of his
features.

�� Lenalee went next,
and Allen squeezed her hand gently in support. �After my parents were killed by
Akuma, my brother, Komui, and I tried to get by on our own. One day, I saw a
very nice, very cheap pair of shoes, and he bought them for me as a birthday
present. It was the first non-vital expenditure he�d made. They had Innocence
in them. The Order found us and took me away. I tried to escape�I didn�t want
to be there�but they held me prisoner. They had no problem hitting me into
submission, Leverrier especially. I think I would
have eventually resigned myself to my life, but� then I saw the experiments.�
Lenalee�s voice became weak as a tear slowly fell down from her left eye. Allen
had noted the world leaders confused expressions. �They tried to create Exorcists,�
Lenalee explained.

�� Isn�t that
impossible, though?� One of the foreign leaders asked. Lenalee nodded.

�� They made
Hevlaska put Innocence into the bodies of the Exorcists� relatives. They
figured, since they were blood-related� but no, they all Fell.
The sight of it� made me go� insane. Even when Gege came to the Order, I was
still� I am still dealing with it.�

�� Allen pulled her
into a soft, comforting hug, and she put her head onto his shoulder. He felt
her body shake as she tried not to cry. Eventually, her hands came up to fist
the fabric of his Exorcist jacket. His shirt was starting to get wet by the
time the next person began to speak. It was Amanda.

�� My family is
poor�I mean really, really poor. I
have two younger brothers. My parents� they didn�t like to talk about it in
front of us, but we all knew that they were having trouble even paying our school
fees. We lived in a tiny apartment. When my school blew up in an Akuma attack
and they discovered that I was compatible with one of the General�s Innocence,
they recruited me immediately. I knew not being around would help my parents,
so I planned on going with them anyway, but they offered to pay my family for
my� services. They promised money for
my brothers� schooling and money for me for a college of my choice. It was an
unbelievable offer, so of course, I left without hesitation.�

�� Amanda began to
shake. �The thing is, the second I die, not only does the college money go down
the drain, but my brothers� school money, too. It doesn�t sound like much, but
when you�re from a poor family, the only hope of coming out of that is
education. I don�t care if I die and lose my bit, but if my brothers do� I
could never forgive myself.�

�� Darcy�s was worse.
�I also lived with my brother. We ran from my parents due to� disagreements. He
was old enough to take care of me. The Order found me. My brother wouldn�t let
me go, though. I didn�t want to go. So they killed him and took me anyway.� It
was a brief explanation, but it hinted at a sorrow so great that it threatened
to destroy the ginger man.

�� Tamas grumbled a
little and then spoke next. �The only bad thing they did to me was force me to
be a General. I was just sick of the corruption, the hypocrisy.�

�� They all continued
in a similar manner, though many of them had horrible stories to tell. The
worst, by far, was Chu-chan�s. It disgusted Allen
that people could be that sick.

�� I am the
illegitimate child of my mother and her� paramour. My father found out when I
was seven. At first, he wanted to take care of me, but then I realized that it
was because everyone thought he was mine. When I was just about nine years old,
though, when I started to really look like my real father,� my father started treating me like shit, and
one day, he took me out with him and left me somewhere, saying he�d be back.
Some seedy-looking guys came over.� Chu-chan laughed bitterly. �They were from
a well-known brothel downtown. Apparently, my father sold me to them so he�d
�never have to look at my ugly face again.�� Chu-chan laughed again. �They
trained me for a bit, mostly just beating and� �lessons
on pleasure� as they called them. Once they were sure I�d do the actual job,
they set me up with my first� client.
Who turned out to be General McCarthy.

�� General McCarthy
asked me if I wanted to leave. I noticed his pocket was glowing and pointed it
out. He looked surprised and then withdrew my Innocence. It didn�t turn into my
gun�that was forged later�but it turned into something similar. He walked me
out, paid for my freedom, and bought me a pair of pants. Later, he got me a
shirt, too.

�� McCarthy was a
good General�very instructive, too�but a hoard of Level Fours got to him while
I was his apprentice. I became a full-fledged Exorcist, but they didn�t want me
to be a General. The Order always treated me as if I was their property, since
I was purchased. They still do�the higher-ups, anyway.�

�� There was an
oppressive silence after Chu-chan�s story, and while
everyone stared uncomfortably around the room, Road gasped.

�� Kanda�s dream is
gone. I think he�s awake,� she informed them, adding a moment later that Lavi�s
dream had faded from her mind as well. The two missing Exorcists walked
unsteadily into the room, eyes vacant and hair messy. Kanda seemed to be more
aware than Lavi, who was leaning heavily against the shorter man. He grabbed
Lavi�s wrist and walked to the opposite side of the room, slumping against the
wall in an uncharacteristic fashion. Lavi fell against him, his back to Kanda�s
chest.

�� It would have been
cute, Allen supposed, if they both didn�t look so traumatized. And if it wasn�t Kanda who was slowly wrapping his arms around
Lavi. Actually, it could never be cute, because Allen didn�t get off on
those things. Especially after that shower. Allen
shuddered at the image. It hadn�t been pleasant, being shirtless against two
men who were half frozen solid. There were so many people in the tiny space
that any movement at all had been impossible. He hadn�t been able to feel the
hot water, though he knew logically that it had soaked his head. It also hadn�t
helped that Justin and Darcy had started singing a drinking song.

�� Allen watched
without interest as Amanda followed the traumatized couple to the back of the
room, sliding down the wall until she was sitting next to them. Darcy sat next
to her a moment later, wrapping an arm over her shoulders. She leaned into him
just slightly, her face relaxing just a little bit. That, Allen supposed, was
cute. Well, no, that couldn�t be, either, because Darcy was an annoying fool. Who was still wearing that blasted pink
towel.

�� Lenalee, are you the one thinking the cute
things? He asked, opening her door in his mind. She peered out at him from
her room and giggled.

�� Sorry, Allen, I think they look cute
together. Both couples. She had the decency to
smile sheepishly, though Allen knew she didn�t feel guilty at all.

�� It�s really weird having your thoughts
appear in my head sometimes. It�s hard to differentiate, he said,
shrugging. It was not that he particularly cared that he was sharing thoughts
with Lenalee, but some of her thoughts were� strange. He didn�t mind that they
were girlish, except that it made him feel like he should be questioning his
sanity sometimes� or his sexuality.

�� It had been a
weird thing for them both when they�d discovered this. It had happened around
the time they�d taken a tour of the other�s mind, and though they didn�t share
much, it was disconcerting when he suddenly knew what color bra Amanda was
wearing or started worrying about Kanda-kun.
That had been what had clued him in, actually. They thought in different ways. Obviously. Because he�d never call Kanda
that. Not in a million years.

�� He closed the door
to Lenalee�s mind, making sure not to lock it in case that separated them and
did something to their Innocence (and secretly because he didn�t want to), he
forced himself back into reality just in time to notice Lolek waving his hand
in front of their faces.

�� Oh, he�s just
checked back in. What happened, Allen?� Lolek asked, looking concerned. The
rest of the room mirrored his expression.

�� Nothing, sorry, I
guess I just��

�� DON�T EAT THE
CHILDREN!� Lavi�s desperate voice shot out, interrupting Allen�s meager
explanation. Everyone stared back at him.

�� Lavi, what�s
going on?� Amanda said, seeming taken aback by Lavi�s sudden change in
position. He was now grabbing her by the scruff of her shirt, his eye wild with
delirium and panic.

�� They�re gonna eat them, you have to stop it, Amanda!� He shouted.
Obviously, he was in some sort of similar reality. He knew where he was, who
was around him, but could not comprehend the world at the moment.

�� The silence got
even more awkward after Lavi�s sudden exclamation. No one knew what to say, and
Allen looked at Lenalee helplessly. He didn�t know how to move the subject away
from Lavi�s apparent insanity.

�� Cyrah did, though.
�The Order watched as my village burned. They took me to be an Exorcist, but
they didn�t know I was pregnant. They killed my baby.�

�� That was all she
said. That was all that needed to be said. Everyone stood in shocked silence,
broken only by Chu-chan�s shuffling gait as he walked
over to Cyrah and placed a hand on her shoulder. Allen found it ironic that the
church was being so harsh on Lavi and Kanda after it had committed what most
members called murder. But then, the Order was hypocritical.

�� The President
looked past the Exorcists to the back of the room, eyeing Kanda. Allen knew the
man had a large amount of respect for the black-haired Exorcist, despite the
fact that Kanda was a cold asshole. Getting up from behind his desk, President
Obama walked silently over to the two despondent Exorcists.� As he stepped closer, Lavi reached over and
grasped the man�s pant leg. He turned a desperate eye up the tall politician.

�� Please� please,
don�t make me watch, Bookman!� Lavi pled pitifully.

�� Obama leaned down,
looking Lavi in the eye, and said softly, �No, you don�t have to watch. Just
close your eyes and it will all go away, everything is going to be okay.� Allen
watched as Lavi�s hand slowly unclenched and he fell back against Kanda, his
eye no longer containing any coherency.

�� Please continue
your stories, I�ll stay here,� the American President said, sitting on the
floor in front of the redhead. Lavi huddled farther back in Kanda�s arms, and
the long-haired man responded by tightening his grip.

�� My sister and I
were kidnapped. Our parents still don�t know I�m alive,� Lolek said soberly.

�� Where�s your
sister?� One of the politicians asked. Lolek looked away and wouldn�t comment
further. Allen grinned a little when he saw Miranda slip herself just a little
bit closer to him, placing a hand lightly in his. It was good to see her being
so outgoing again. It was good to see she was finally healing.

�� The Order used me
as a tool to keep people uninjured beyond their capacity to survive once my
Time Record deactivated. It�s not pleasant being a tool, I think Allen
understands this the most, as they did something similar with him and the Ark,�
Miranda said softly, being just as brief as Lolek had.

�� Can anyone tell
us the stories of the two over there?� The Russian President asked in
highly-accented English.

�� Allen stared at
everyone for a moment before he spoke up. �Lavi was a Bookman. But he found his
heart. Kanda� we don�t know what happened, but he always said the Order was
better than home. And you saw what the Order did to him. I think that, if you
asked him now, he�d still insist the same.� He grimaced, lacking any other
expression that seemed appropriate.

�� Um, Allen, Lavi�s
muttering weird things,� Amanda said, sounding worried. Allen turned to the back
of the room. Lavi�s eye was blank and dark, just as it had been when they�d
found him, but his mouth was moving, forming incoherent mixes of languages.
Behind him, Kanda�s eyes were closed, though he held Lavi just as tightly as if
he were awake. The world leaders flinched as they recognized parts of their
native languages.

�� What is he
saying?� Amanda asked quietly. The world leaders shook their heads, refusing to
repeat Lavi�s words. The photographer had come to stand near the redhead, and
though Allen didn�t want him catching all this on film, perhaps it was for the
better if he did. It would make whatever he was planning to do with the footage
all the more realistic, even if it showed his friends in a moment of weakness.

�� Otou-san, yamero,�
Kanda mumbled into Lavi�s head. Allen didn�t know much Japanese, but he knew
enough to catch the meaning of those two words. The rest of the sentence made
the Japanese Prime Minister turn vaguely green.

�� What is he
saying?� This time, it was the photographer who asked. Reluctantly, the
Japanese politician repeated Kanda�s words, translating them without effort
into English.

�� Father,
stop. Don�t hurt Mother, she�s sick. No, stop, Father, you�re hurting
me. No, no! Not the belt!��

�� Allen suddenly
understood the scars on Kanda�s back, the ones he had been trying to forget
since he�d been pressed against them in the sardine shower. He wished he
didn�t. �Leave that out of whatever you plan to do,� he ordered, addressing the
photographer. �He doesn�t need pity, especially that of the entire world.�

�� The photographer
nodded, but Allen wasn�t sure if that would stop the man or not.

�� What are you planning to do with that?� Darcy
asked, shifting the room�s attention back to something that wasn�t Kanda or
Lavi.

�� I was thinking a
documentary-expos�, actually. You know, �The Dark Order: Corruption and Lies�
or some equally cheesy title that people will want to hear about. It�ll help
your position. You�re trying to break with the Church. You may have the
Coalition�s support�you do, right?� He turned and looked at the politicians,
who all nodded slowly. �So you should also have the support of the world. The
Vatican can�t do a damn thing if you have everyone�s support against them,� the
photographer finished. Allen nodded thoughtfully. The idea made sense, he
supposed.

�� Everyone, are you
okay with them publishing this?� He asked, gazing at each Exorcist in turn.
Everyone agreed, though some�Chu-chan included, not that Allen blamed
him�looked a bit hesitant. Kanda and Lavi both remained still, unaware of the
proceedings in the room. �I guess go ahead, then. It�s better to have the
secrets out than to have them festering down in the pit of the Order�s
archives.�

�� At that last word,
Lavi began to scream, wordless, fearful screams that captured everyone�s
attention immediately. Road looked at the redhead and in a second was on the
floor, writhing and screaming as well.

�� She�s� the Noah
of Dreams, so she�s susceptible to strong�can we get them in a different room?
They still look a little blue, and honestly, all this activity isn�t good for
them,� Allen said, knowing he was acting on Lenalee�s emotions more than his
own. Still, he would have said the same, even if he couldn�t physically feel the concern radiating from her
mind. He would have seen it in her features.

�� The President
nodded. �There�s a room just down the hall.�

�� Does it have a
window?� Lenalee asked. The President nodded again. �Then take them there. Make
sure there�s light in there at all time�they were in the dark for too long. I
don�t know how they�d react to it.�

�� Hastily, Lolek
moved over to the two fallen Exorcists and heaved Lavi up, his face screwed up
with the effort.

�� Damn heavy,� he
grunted as he passed Miranda. She giggled slightly and patted his arm
sympathetically. Using his left arm, Allen picked Kanda up, thinking of how
funny it would be if Kanda decided to take the time to wake up while he was in
the white-haired boy�s grasp.

---

December 4, 2013�The White House

�� Annoying voices
twittered about, tickling Yuu�s ears until he was nearly furious with their
teasing quality. Couldn�t the people who were inexplicably in his room realize they were annoying as fuck?

�� Vikram, stop
saying it�s your fault, it�s annoying.�

�� Great, it was
those two annoying retards from the Asian Branch. Didn�t they think they were
going to wake Lavi up? He looked over at the redhead and saw him still
sleeping. Which was good. Yuu had been very, very
tired, which meant that Lavi would probably be the same. He didn�t remember
why, though, just that it had been very dark and cold. And that his mother had
been hurt.

�� Which
didn�t make sense, because his mother had been dead since he was ten.

�� But you won�t
even tell me what happened��

�� Because you wouldn�t want to know!�

�� But I do! Emiko,
I want to know what that stupid little bitch did to you! I see how you shrink
away from her whenever you�re within five meters of each other. I see how you
leave the room whenever she enters. It�s infuriating!
I just want to know what I can do to help!� The Ass-Crack Indian�really, that
man had to pull his pants up, especially if he was sitting on the bed�said, sounding pitifully helpless.

�� You don�t!
Please, Vikram, just drop it! I�m tired of you asking. I� I can�t tell you, okay?� Perhaps Emiko-kun
had the same problem as he did, Yuu thought. She�he�whatever�couldn�t voice
something, and though it was different from what Yuu couldn�t say, perhaps they
were more alike than just sharing a nation. It struck him as strange that he
was thinking of relating to people�something he�d never done�but then, he
thought that perhaps it was that stupid rabbit rubbing off on him.

�� Okay, fine, I get
it, but Emiko� please, just let me help you somehow.� The Ass-Crack Indian
sounded defeated but accepting. Why couldn�t Lavi understand like that?

�� Yuu blinked. What
had he just thought? He was pretty sure Lavi understood what he was going
through, so where had that come from?

�� There was a pause,
and Yuu was relieved. Perhaps they�d actually let the both of them sleep again. But then, Emiko-kun broke
the silence with a quiet question. �So, did you think about it?�

�� There was a
nervous shifting of the bed, confirming that the Ass-Crack Indian really was
there. �Could I� just� try something?� Vikram asked, and Yuu wondered why the
normally cocky man sounded so anxious.

�� He heard a sharp
intake of breath, and suddenly Yuu was horrified. They were kissing on his bed? Did they not realize he was here?
Still, he couldn�t bring himself to break the silence, mortified as he was.
There was a loud moan that emanated from someone�s throat�Yuu couldn�t tell
which, as Emiko-kun seemed to have forgotten her falsetto for the moment.

�� Vikram,� she
murmured, and Yuu had a horrible feeling that it was against the Ass-Crack
Indian�s lips.

�� Another moan tore
through the room�Yuu was pretty sure it was the Ass-Crack Indian. Sitting up,
he glared irritably at the loud retards.

�� Get the fuck out
of the room,� he hissed, reaching about for Mugen before remembering that it
wasn�t activated at the moment.

�� The Ass-Crack
Indian squeaked and tore himself away from Emiko-kun, running from the room as
if his low, ass-crack pants were on fire. He needed to pull his pants up. The
image was making Yuu feel sick.

�� Emiko-kun just
stared at him, blushing, unable to make a sound. Yuu smirked a bit. He kind of
felt bad for the girl�boy�it. �Ano, I�m gonna go,� she said in her high falsetto, speaking in
Japanese in her embarrassment. She sprinted from the room nearly as fast as the
Ass-Crack Indian had. Yuu felt satisfied as he lay back down and stared at Lavi
again.

�� His heart surged
as he looked at the redhead, though he wasn�t quite sure why. He found his
physical reactions to be annoying, though he didn�t mind them nearly as much as
he once had. Back when he�d been confused about his feelings, back in the
nineteenth century, he hadn�t understood why his heart did stupid things or
he�d started shaking or his breathing suddenly picked up. But he thought he had
a clue now. Even if he couldn�t say it yet.

�� Reaching out, he
ran a solitary finger down Lavi�s stubbly face. He scowled a bit�why hadn�t
Lavi shaven? His stubble was outrageous, as if he hadn�t done anything about it
in days. Yuu felt like he was missing something, but he ignored it, running
another finger along with the first. Lavi made a little sleepy grunt and leaned
his face into Yuu�s hand.

�� A clear, emerald
eye opened and looked groggily over at him. A smile spread slowly on his�Lavi�s
face, peaceful and slightly haunted. �I�m sorry,� he whispered quietly.

�� Why?� Yuu asked.
What had happened?

�� I fell asleep on
you�it�s my fault they found us,� he said, speaking quieter still.

�� I� don�t follow,�
Yuu admitted.

�� It was really
cold and dark, but it�s warm now. I knew Allen and Lenalee would come�I was
right, I�m guessing, since we�re together.�

�� Yuu felt his brow
knit together in his confusion. What was he missing?

�� Yuu, you don�t
remember, do you?� Lavi asked, pulling one of his own hands from under the warm
comforter and placing it on one of Yuu�s surprisingly rough cheeks. Had he
forgotten to shave, too?

�� You need to
remember�the Cardinals, Yuu, they took us away, our
Innocence, too.�

�� Yuu felt like he
had an egg cracked over his head as he remembered what had happened, what his
brain had hidden from him while he awoke. He ran his fingers up and down Lavi�s
cheek again, nodding. �I remember,� he said simply.

�� What happened
after the darkness?� Lavi asked. Yuu flinched.

�� I had a ten,� he
admitted, looking away but still running his fingers gently over Lavi�s face. He
didn�t understand why he felt the need to just touch the man, but it was there, and he didn�t want to deny it.
Lavi was apparently having the same problem, as his second arm had emerged from
under his pillow and started brushing itself through Yuu�s hair.

�� Lavi�s expression
grew worried, though he didn�t say anything else about it. �You don�t have to
tell me. But you�re okay now?�

�� Yuu nodded, and
Lavi pulled him close. With horror, Yuu finally realized that they weren�t in
the Ark. But he didn�t care, because Lavi was there, holding him. Even though
it sounded stupid, it felt good to be in Lavi�s arms, to simply be held. He
would never admit it, though, along with the other stupid things Lavi did that
Yuu secretly found endearing. Like that stupid little twitch he did when he was
trying to hide how much he had to use the bathroom. Or that tiny, crooked smile
that flashed over his face for a millisecond when he learned something new. Or
that stupid, annoying little tendency he had where his hand twitched just
slightly when he was really concentrating on what someone was saying, as if he
was physically writing it down in his head.

�� You�re still
thinking outside your body, though. Yuu, come back down into your head. You
don�t have to defend yourself right now,� Lavi whispered in his ear, the warm
breath swirling its way around the hair hiding the orifice.

�� Yuu nodded and
removed his hand from Lavi�s cheek, placing it instead on the soft, bare skin
of his back. �I�� He rattled at the restraints in his brain, and for a second,
he felt freedom. ��lo��

�� The President of
the United States walked into the room, a concerned look on his face. Though he
respected the man, he wanted to hit something. He�d been so close. He needed to
say it. But the chains were back, stronger than before, just like a broken bone
after it healed.

�� Taking out a
rectangular object that Yuu now recognized as a laptop (Lavi had one), the President sat down at a white, wooden desk with his
back to the bed. Lavi shifted next to him, pulling him even closer. Yuu glanced
over, scowling at him. There was a strange noise from the President�s
direction, and when Yuu looked back over at the tall man, he saw him typing
furiously away at a document whose contents Yuu couldn�t see.

�� Lavi smiled at him
and put a finger to his lips, laughing silently. Yuu nodded quietly, wondering
why Lavi didn�t want to speak but not questioning it. The redhead simply
brought their foreheads together and stared at Yuu. For his part, Yuu didn�t
like the position. Lavi was too close and insanely blurry, and the strain on
his eyes was giving him a headache, but he put up with it for the stupid
rabbit�s sake. Eventually, Lavi pulled back, leaning over to place a chaste
kiss on his cheek and smiling.

�� What are you
doing?� Yuu finally asked, tired of being silent. The rabbit could pout all he wanted, Yuu was bored. And the President had
interrupted him when he had finally been about to say it.

�� Obama jumped in
shock, slamming his fingers down on the keyboard accidentally as he yelped. Turning
around, he stared in astonishment as Yuu sat up, the world spinning around him.
Obviously, he�d been lying down for a while. Shaking his head to clear it, he
gazed back at the American President.

�� You�re awake?�
The President asked disbelievingly. Yuu nodded impassively.

�� Oh, yeah, we�ve
been awake for a while now, Prez!� Lavi quipped
cheerfully, sitting up himself and looping an arm around Yuu�s bare shoulder.
Yuu tensed. Why was he shirtless? He looked down, panicked, and saw that
everything was showing. Every scar. Bared
for the world to see. He didn�t want to make a girlish move, sweeping up the
covers and lifting them over his chest, but he desperately didn�t want the
President�or Lavi especially�to see them, to see what was left of his father.

�� Thankfully, Lavi
seemed to notice his expression and reached back to grab his pillow, throwing
it into Yuu�s lap and then leaning on it. Yuu held it securely in place. Even
with the rabbit�s head there, it showed nothing except his shoulders and the
scar at his collarbone.

�� If the President
was phased at Yuu�s injuries, he didn�t show it.
Instead, he closed his laptop and smiled cordially. �I suppose you�re wondering
why I�m here,� he said, his smile growing wider.

�� Yuu nodded mutely.
Now that he thought about it, what was
the President doing here?

�� Well, you see,
your friends came to the White House to explain to us�the Coalition�that they�d
left the Order.�

�� We left the
Order?� Lavi asked, interrupting the President�s explanation. Yuu clapped a
hand over the idiot�s mouth.

�� Sorry, he�s an
idiot, continue,� he said, feigning politeness with good accuracy. He could
apologize to people he respected. He�d done it to Komui once. Once. Not that he�d respected Komui. At
all.

�� The President�s
eyes widened slightly, and he chuckled under his breath. �Yes, they anchored
the Ark above my house, but now they�re above the UN building until we can find
a better place.�

�� Then, where are
we?� Lavi asked, taking over the conversation. Yuu was content to let it happen
that way, unconsciously letting the hand he wasn�t supporting himself with drop
into Lavi�s hair.

�� You�re in the
White House. You two walked in and started screaming, so Allen and Lenalee took
you to one of the guest rooms by the office. How are you feeling?� There was
genuine concern in Obama�s tone, almost fatherly. Yuu couldn�t rationally
explain it. The only person who had ever shown concern for him like that had
died over a century ago.

�� Er, a bit sore,� Lavi said, grimacing.

�� Urusei, Baka Usagi,� Yuu mumbled. �You�re
fine.�

�� Well, what about
you, then, hmmm?� Lavi asked, trying to pout again,
though worry shone through his one eye as well.

�� Yuu shrugged and
immediately regretted it as his shoulders cracked resoundingly and painfully.
He hissed in discomfort and rolled them to get the kinks out. �How long?� He asked.

�� It�s the fourth,
so about� a day and a half, I think,� the President commented. Yuu made a
contemplative grunt in the back of his throat.

�� So what are ya doin�?� Lavi asked, throwing back
the covers and getting out of the bed. He walked over and made to grab the
laptop, though Obama placed a hand atop the machine.

�� Writing a Bill,�
he said nonchalantly.

�� Oooh, interesting! I�d love to see the legislative
process�never got to see it what with all the fucking war�oh, sorry, sir,
didn�t mean to make a nasty word there.� Lavi�s smile grew to dazzling
proportions, and despite his ridiculous words, Yuu had to admit Lavi looked
very good with such a large, genuine look on his face. For the first time, Yuu
understood why he may have wanted to become a Bookman.

�� Still, he had to
keep the idiot in check, so he got up, being careful to still cover his chest,
and walked over to Lavi, slapping him upside the head. �Stop being an idiot,�
he ordered, scowling.

�� But
Yuu!� Lavi complained, turning to look at him with a pitying gaze that
didn�t affect Yuu at all. Well, maybe a little, but he wouldn�t tell the rabbit
that.

�� No, shut up!� Yuu
insisted. Lavi suddenly got a determined look on his face, and before Yuu could
stop it, the redhead had thrown himself into the Japanese man�s arms, forcing
him to drop the pillow. Somehow�Yuu wasn�t quite sure how�Lavi clambered over
and onto his back, squeezing his neck too tightly. �Get off, Baka!� He yelled, swiping behind him at
Lavi�s face.

�� Are you two�
actually together?� The President asked, sounding confused.

�� Course we are,
Mr. Prez, that�s just how Yuu-chan flirts with me.�

�� I�m not flirting
with you, I�m trying to get you to stop strangling me, you idiot!�

�� Lavi jumped off
immediately, though he quickly slid his arms around Yuu�s stomach, holding
himself very close. Perhaps too close. But Yuu was beyond that, and this was
Lavi, so it was okay. The chains began to rattle again, though they held
strong.

�� Anyway, what�s
the Bill for?� Lavi asked. Though Yuu couldn�t see, he was sure Lavi�s eye was
still shining with that interesting light that he�d never seen before.

�� Sorry�you�ll have
to wait to find out,� the American President said, grimacing apologetically.
Lavi pouted.

�� When are we
leaving?� Yuu asked suddenly. �Provided that Moyashi hasn�t died yet.�

�� Moyashi?� The President
questioned.

�� That�s Yuu�s name
for Allen, �cause when he met �im, he was short and
skinny, like a bean sprout!� Lavi exclaimed, squeezing
Yuu a bit and making him realize how hungry he was. He could use a good bowl of
soba noodles. He missed their warmth, though Lavi�s warmth was good, too, he
supposed. Not that he would admit that. Ever.

�� He left the door
in my office open for you,� the President said. �And Mr. Kanda, do you want a
shirt?�

�� Yuu was surprised
at the question, but he found himself nodding gratefully. He didn�t want
everyone to see. It was proof that his Lotus spell was wearing off, and he
didn�t like the pitying stares he would invariably receive.

�� The shirt was big
on him. The shirt was big on him, but he didn�t mind. Slowly, he and Lavi
stepped through the Ark�s door and walked back to their room. They passed
Lenalee on the way, and she came up to them, smiling. Yuu did something very
new and hugged her. She seemed surprised, though she took it with good grace,
her smile growing and her eyes twinkling.

�� I�m glad to see
you two are okay,� she said, walking off, presumably to find Moyashi.

�� When they got back
to their room, Yuu found a hideous orange shag rug on the ground. Turning to
glare at Lavi, he saw his�his lover
had a sheepish grin on. Glaring angrily, he waited for Lavi to turn tail and
run. But he didn�t. Instead, he went up and hugged Yuu, pulling him very
tenderly toward him. Yuu didn�t fight the embrace, even if it was atop that
stupid burnt orange rug of death.

�� They stood like
that for a while, time passing like the sigh of the wind by the sea, a sun high
in the sky and warming them both. Lavi leaned in once or twice, placing lips on
strange parts of his face�like his nose or his chin. During the entire time,
Yuu simply stood there, feet nestled in the ugly orange rug, and held Lavi as
if to convince himself that the other man really was there. When Lavi finally
stepped back, Yuu reluctantly let go, his shoulders cracking painfully once
more.

�� Lavi looked at
him, his eye filled with concern. �You okay?� He asked. Yuu nodded, but Lavi
frowned, scowling just a little bit. Yuu didn�t want to admit it, but when Lavi
was pretending to be angry, it was kind of� cute.

�� You�re not okay.
Please, Yuu, let me help,� Lavi implored, fixing his beseeching eye with Yuu�s.
The chains buckled slightly, but they held as usual.

�� I�fine, whatever,
rabbit,� he said, turning away so he wouldn�t have to face the other man.

�� Lavi extricated
himself completely from Yuu�s arms, moving behind him before he knew where the
stupid rabbit had gone. Soft, warm hands gently fell on his shoulders, and Yuu
couldn�t help but tense a bit under the feather-light weight. �What�?� He
started. Lavi pulled him back, driving him just slightly off balance, forcing
him to take a step back, followed by another and then another. He yanked back
harder, and then they were sitting on the bed. Lavi pushed him down and to the
side, and suddenly, Yuu�s face was stuffed in the mattress.

�� You may want to
move your head, Yuu, or you may suffocate or somethin�,�
Lavi said almost breezily. His hands were still on the Japanese man�s
shoulders, only the touch had gotten heavier. He ran his hands slowly up and
down the length of Yuu�s scarred back several times.

�� Lavi, what are
you��

�� Be quiet, ne?� Lavi whispered in his ear. Yuu
jumped a bit in surprise. When had Lavi bent down? But that was distracting him
from the tantalizing hands that were making their teasing way to his sides.
Lavi whispered something in a strange language, but Yuu didn�t care because
Lavi was being completely unfair. There was warm breath swirling around in the
vast cavity of his ear, and those hands were working their way to the front,
undoing the buttons of his borrowed shirt.

�� Lavi,� Yuu growled, trying to sound
menacing, but then the shirt was gone and Lavi�s hands were on his back�

�� It didn�t matter
that he was horrifically scarred, it didn�t matter that every touch reminded
him of the belt-turned-whip, it didn�t matter because Lavi�s touch was gentle
and soft and very, very nice. It was warm. Even in the cool air of the room,
Lavi�s hands were warm as they swept frivolously across his back, making a
mockery of the pain that had once been felt. Gradually, he began to add
pressure until he was digging deeply into each gnarled knot in Yuu�s back.

�� Jesus Christ,
Yuu! You feel like a cancer patient!� Lavi complained, shaking his hands out
for the third time.

�� I don�t
comprehend,� Yuu said, not following Lavi�s thought process. That wasn�t
unusual, though.

�� I mean, you�re
filled with knots� it�s like� you�ve got tumors
or somethin�!� Lavi explained. Yuu resisted the urge
to take his arm that was hanging off the bed and slap it into his face.
�Seriously, Yuu, you�re gonna get osteoporosis and
shrink.�

�� Yuu didn�t know
what to make of that. �Doesn�t that� have nothing to
do with knots?� He asked, confused.

�� Hmm, well, yeah,
but you need to relax!�

�� Che.� The response still worked
for everything.

�� Well, at least
don�t train for so long,� Lavi said, returning his hands to Yuu�s back and
beginning to massage it again.

�� Che. You�re just saying that
because you want to spend more time with me,� Yuu said dismissively.

�� Well, yes, that
too,� Lavi said sheepishly. �Though you do need to take it easy. Yuu, it�s not healthy to have so
many knots in your back. If the Old Panda were here, he�d��

�� Hit you over the
head and tell you to stop caring so damn much,� Yuu interrupted, finishing
Lavi�s thought in what he thought was a realistic way. From the sudden tension
in Lavi�s hands and arms as well as the sudden ceasing of movements, Yuu felt
he�d hit a sore point.

�� Yeah, well� He�d
also tell you that you need to stretch a bit more, regardless of if I loved you
or not,� he commented sadly. Yuu felt the sudden urge to apologize, but he held
back. Instead, he took his other hand, the one that was now pillowing his face,
and stretched it back until he found one of Lavi�s hands and was holding it
firmly. �You�re mean, Yuu-chan,� Lavi said, but there
was no menace in it.

�� Yuu rolled over so
that he was on his back, facing Lavi. �But you don�t care,� he said slowly.

�� Lavi shook his
head. �No, it must be stupid of me, but I don�t.�

�� Yuu smiled
triumphantly. It was a small smile. But Lavi saw it anyway. Yuu didn�t even
react as Lavi pressed himself down, running his arms around Yuu�s chest in a
tight embrace. It was the first time that he hadn�t thought of his father for a
split-second after Lavi started touching him.

�� You are very
clingy today,� he commented, wrapping his arms around Lavi�s muscled waist.

�� I thought I lost
you,� Lavi whispered quietly, once again speaking in Yuu�s ear. It struck him
that Lavi�s voice sounded doleful, as if he was holding back tears. He felt
something strange on his face and realized with horror that a tear was tracking
its way down. He held Lavi tighter, pulling him as close as physically
possible. And suddenly, that wasn�t enough. Lavi pulled back momentarily,
looking at Yuu with a shining eye�whether from tears or from some unnamed
emotion Yuu didn�t know�and then he crushed his lips down onto Yuu�s with
alarming intensity.

�� And they made it
be enough. Damn physics to hell, they made it be enough.

---

A/N: �there was totally not supposed to be smex
at the end of the chapter but Yuu was all like �meh,
me wants it!� so� it kinda� happened. :/ The comment
about the tumors in the back was inspired by one time when Em1 was scrubbing
away at my back (because I have insane back problems and she is a nice
roommate). She said I was so full of knots, that they felt like tumors, and I replied that yes, I am very tumory. Anyway, um, yeah, onto the neeeeext!

A/N2: So, apparently, Em2 doesn�t remember what she wrote,
because� well� we just had an interesting fail. So, we were reading over the
bit with Kanda�s skin having a blue-ish hue. Em2 then
stops reading, stares at the screen with a slack face, and proceeds to ask Em1
exactly why he�s blue. *headdesk*

And dyslexia rules the day! You see, Em2 apparently gets
dyslexia when reading aloud. But only when reading aloud.
The highlights of this session were �kaste chiss� and �soda noobles.� 8D
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Innocent Rain