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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
- 27
- 28
- 29
Chapter 28�How Can I be Like a Girl

December 28, 2013�Central Park

�� Christmas passed
without much incident. Lavi and Kanda had gone missing, though Emiko had a
vague idea that they had run off to be alone for the day. After a light lunch,
Amanda and Darcy had done the same. The rest of the former Order�they were
thinking of new titles for themselves, without success�had spent the day in the
warm sun of the Main Plaza of Allen�s Ark. There had been an actual
celebration, with presents and turkey and kegs of beer. It had been a very
rowdy, very happy Christmas, Emiko reflected, a vague
smile on her face.

�� On the
twenty-sixth, things had calmed down. Everyone saw Lavi walking around with a
new orange scarf. Amanda sported a very fetching pair of earrings. Miranda had
replaced the simple gold band on her middle finger with a
dainty silver one on which sat a tiny sapphire. Emiko hadn�t gotten
anything from Vikram, though. They�d been too busy to go shopping beforehand. Which was why they were out in the bitter cold of New York City�s
Central Park after a quick tour through the nearby stores.

�� Vikram was
complaining about the belt she�d just bought him, though she wasn�t being quiet
about her objections to the socks
he�d bought her. They were cute, she supposed, if you liked little knitted
depictions of Santa getting mauled by a reindeer. Then again, she couldn�t
talk, as she�d given him a lurid green belt with highlighter orange studs
embellishing it.

�� I�ll treasure it
forever,� he said sarcastically, and Emiko rolled her eyes.

�� You�d better,�
she laughed. Trying her luck, she bumped their hands together, grabbing Vikram�s before he could pull away. But he didn�t try,
though he did look somewhat nervous. He kept glancing around, but he didn�t let
go, and that was the point.

�� Abruptly, he
stopped. �Will you tell me what Road did to you?� He asked bluntly, pulling her
other hand into his. She looked away. It wouldn�t hurt� but�

�� What do you want
to know?� She found herself saying.

�� Everything,� he
said.

�� Can we sit down?�
She asked, and he nodded, leading her to a snow-covered bench. He was gentleman
enough, surprisingly, to wipe it off, and he even let Emiko sit on him. It was
a nice position, she reflected, but then she sobered.

�� Remember how we
were playing Hide �N� Seek?� She asked. Vikram nodded. �Well, Chu-chan was �it�
that time. You ran in the other direction from me. I remember running north,
back toward the Asian Branch. I saw this girl�she seemed only a few years older
than me. She asked me if I was an Exorcist. I nodded and got my Innocence out.
I didn�t synch well at that point, but I thought she was a Level One Akuma or
something. She smiled, and a door appeared. She asked me if I wanted to play
with her, but I told her I was playing with you guys. She said she was more
fun, though, and then she knocked me out. I don�t know how, I didn�t see her
coming. She took my Innocence with her. I don�t know why she never destroyed
it. I think it was because she always planned on taking me back. I think it may
be because I was her play toy.�

�� Emiko didn�t know
when she�d stopped talking and had fallen into the icy clasp of bittersweet
memory, but she eventually found herself reliving the horrors that Road had
made her live through.

-

�� The first thing Sasaki saw was the cracked
paint on the ceiling. The girl was standing over him, her spiky, black hair
hanging as she looked down. He could see up her skirt, so he averted his eyes.
He had no interest in seeing girls� panties, not like Vikram and Chu-chan.

�� What�s
your name?� The girl asked, her voice high and almost
sweet. Sasaki opened his mouth to answer, but it felt dry, as if someone had
stuck cotton inside it. He tried to make a sound, but it came out as a rusty
croak. �Do you need water?�

�� Sasaki
closed his mouth and nodded, pleading the girl with his eyes. She walked out of
his sight, and a moment later, she was helping him up, pressing an overlarge
glass of water in his hands. He accepted it gratefully, and though the first
swallow was painful, the water was cold and wet against his tongue. It felt
good. He drained the entire glass.

�� Now,
could you tell me your name? You were looking so cute in the forest that I just
had to take you with me!� The girl was smiling down at him in a way that was
supposed to be sweet but turned out somewhat scary.

�� Sa-Sasaki,� He said, �M-M-Morikawa
Sasaki desu.�

�� I�m
sorry, but I don�t speak Japanese. You probably aren�t very good at English
yet, are you? Don�t worry, I can help you! My name is Road.� She offered a
smile that was more sweet this time, but Sasaki still
didn�t trust it, though he didn�t know why. Something was off with this girl.

�� Er� where am I?� Sasaki asked
tremulously. He didn�t know why, but he was starting to get very scared. Even
though he was a boy and wasn�t supposed to be.

�� Oh,
you�re on the Ark, of course, in my room! See, I just wanted a playmate. It�s
so lonely. My sister is asleep, and she won�t wake up. Would you mind keeping
me company, Sasaki-chan?�

�� Sasaki
nodded mutely. He didn�t know what else to do.

�� Then
let�s play dress-up, �kay?� Road said, going into a closet and pulling out a
monumentally-sized gilded chest.

�� But
boys aren�t supposed to play dress-up,� Sasaki complained. One time, the girls
in the Science Department had dressed him and Chu-chan and Vikram in girl
clothing, and it had been very embarrassing. His ears turned red just from the
thought.

�� The
girl paused, her smile slipping just a bit. �You�re a boy!?� She exclaimed. Her
smile grew again, and she added, �Well, I have a better game, then. How about
we play let�s-pretend and we pretend you�re a girl? How �bout
that, Sasaki-chan?�

�� Sasaki
shook his head.

�� Aww, but I want to! Hey, can I call you Emiko? I think
that�s much cuter and girlier, don�t you?� Road
asked. Sasaki tried to shrink away, but the girl pulled at his wrists, making
him stand up. He was dizzy, but she wouldn�t let him fall.

�� My
name is Sasaki,� he insisted, but Road wasn�t listening. She was already going
through her chest, searching for all sorts of girly clothing to dress him in.

�� How about this one, Emiko-chan!?� She suggested loudly,
showing him a lurid pink, frilly number that looked a lot like the princess
dress the Science Department women had forced Chu-chan to wear. Sasaki shook
his head, horrified. The girl approached him anyway, holding it out to him. He
tried to back up, but he was too dizzy. He fell, and Road descended on him,
dressing him in the ugly outfit, all the while smiling with a hint of evil.

-

�� Emiko-chan,
you eat atrociously! I�ve told you this a million times, you need to use your
fork and knife like this!�

�� Road
got up from her spot on the other side of the table and rushed over to him. She
put her hands over his and directed him in the proper ways to use the utensils.
As soon as she left his side, he once again tried to eat with them, but the
movements were all awkward.

�� Geez,
Emiko-chan, you�re so bad at this! But girls need to eat properly. You know,
Sarah taught me these. She told me I was a bad girl if I didn�t eat with the
utensils like that. You don�t want to be a bad girl, do you, Emiko? It�s not
ladylike to be a bad girl.�

�� Sasaki
knew what happened if he wasn�t a good girl, if he wasn�t ladylike. Road had
made it clear that he would get hurt if he didn�t do it right. It wasn�t
much�just a slap here or there or sometimes a kick to the groin (which she said
shouldn�t hurt, but it did)�but it all added up. Emiko had never liked pain. No! Sasaki shook his head to clear it. Sasaki
didn�t like pain. He didn�t like
pain.

�� Road came up to his side. �Are you trying to tell me no,
Emiko-chan? That�s a bad idea. It�s not ladylike. You�re being a bad girl,
Emiko!�

�� She
tore the dress off, and an Akuma came into the room. Sasaki braced herself.
She�no he�no... Sasaki didn�t know anymore�didn�t like the pain that came next.
The bruising strike was followed by another and then another. It didn�t stop at
the third this time. He felt something break. He screamed out in pain.

�� Boys
don�t scream, so you must be a girl, right, Emiko-chan?� Road asked, pulling
the Exorcist up and laying her out on the nearby bed. Emiko nodded, though she
was in such pain that she didn�t know why. No, he was Sasaki, right? Or was
that his surname? He didn�t know anymore.

�� You�re
a girl, right?� Road insisted. Emiko nodded again, more resolutely. She was a
girl, right? How many months had she been in this pain? All because she
sometimes thought she was a boy� why
had she thought that?

�� You�re
a girl, aren�t you?� Road asked a third time, and Emiko felt the thing that had
broken be placed properly. He screamed out again. It hurt.

�� Are
you or aren�t you?�

�� Y-yes! I�m a girl!� He shouted. Because he was, wasn�t she?

-

�� Emiko
sat at the table, eating as delicately as possible, just as Road had taught
her. She didn�t hurt anymore, except for the light throb from the broken
shoulder bone that had happened three months ago. It was mostly healed, but it
tended to hurt every once in a while.

�� Hey, Emiko-chan!� Road said, coming up beside her. �Are you
done with breakfast?�

�� Emiko
nodded, giving her friend and captor a smile. She loved playing with Road, even
though she knew she shouldn�t. She didn�t quite remember why. Her memory was a
bit fuzzy, but she didn�t mind. Road was there for her, as always.

�� Wanna
play with me?� Road asked. Emiko smiled brightly at her.

�� Can
we play dress-up? It�s my favorite! I love that one gold dress of yours. It�s
so pretty!�

�� Yeah,
that�s a great idea!� Road exclaimed, taking Emiko�s hand and pulling her along
until they reached the closet that held the beautiful, gold-rimmed chest that
held all of her dress-up clothes.

�� Road
opened the closet and pulled out things for them to wear, just like always.
This time, though, she produced a pair of gorgeous heels. �They�re too small
for me�will you try them, Emiko-chan?� She asked. The Japanese girl nodded and
stepped into them, walking around just like Road had made her practice a month
ago.

�� Wow,
Emiko-chan, you look so ladylike in those! Look how smoothly you walk. You�re
so pretty,� Road complimented, clapping her hands. �You should see yourself in
the mirror! Let�s go to the full-length one in the bathroom.�

�� They
walked�or in Emiko�s case, clacked�over to the bathroom that was just off of
Road�s room, smiles of joy on their faces. They were having so much fun. When
they got there, though, there was a scary-looking older boy there. He had large
muscles, and he was glaring down at them angrily.

�� Road,
what the fuck is this?� He asked menacingly. The spiky-haired girl�s face went
dark, an expression Emiko had never seen before. It was scary, too.

�� I�m
playing. Do you have a problem with that, Chaz? You
play with the humans, too, don�t you?�

�� I
smell Innocence around, it�s making my skin��

�� I
don�t give a shit about your skin. Stop acting like you�re gay and go worry
about something else. Honestly, Chaz, didn�t the Earl
tell you to go after those stupid Exorcist twins? Why don�t you actually do
your job?�

�� They�re
too powerful when they�re together,� the scary boy�Chaz,
Emiko remembered�said, sounding almost sheepish. He looked around at anything
but the two girls in front of him.

�� Then
kill one of them while you distract the other. They�ve got the same Innocence,
don�t they? It�s not that hard.�

�� I�ll
do it later,� he said.

�� You�d
better. The Earl doesn�t like it when you slack,� Road patronized, wagging a
playful finger.

�� Aren�t
you doing the same?� The mean boy shot back. Road giggled.

�� I
don�t have an assignment right now. I�m
completely free.�

�� The
boy growled and stomped out of the room. Road sighed
in seeming relief.

�� Who
was that?� Emiko asked, pulling on Road�s sleeve.

�� It�s
not safe for you to be here anymore, Emiko-chan. I�m taking you home. I was gonna destroy your Innocence, but you can have it back. Just
don�t expect me to go easy on you just because we�re friends.�

�� Emiko
didn�t understand what Road was saying, but a second later, there was a
diamond-patterned door right in front of her, and the other girl was ushering
her through. She recognized the building immediately, though she couldn�t quite
place it.

�� Best
of luck, Emiko-chan, you�ll need it. We had fun, though, didn�t we?� Road
called, stepping back through the door as it disappeared. Emiko looked around,
confused. How could it just disappear like that, like it had just melted into
the scenery? Sighing, she decided to go inside. It was raining and cold, so
that seemed like a good choice.

�� When
she stepped in, though, there was a surprised voice.

�� Sasaki?�

-

�� Emiko�Emiko?
Are you listening to me?� Vikram said, shaking her a bit. Stunned, Emiko
blinked in confusion.

�� I�m sorry,
Vikram. Where did I leave off?� She asked, facing him.

�� You said
something about Road leaving you at the door�� Vikram started, but his voice
drifted off into nothing.

�� Oh, I was saying
that out loud? I guess that means I don�t have to relive it again, then,� Emiko
said, shrugging. She didn�t really mind anymore. She�d gotten so used to the
flashbacks ever since Road had joined them that they were becoming normal. She
wasn�t traumatized by them any longer. She just wished they�d stop appearing in
front of her eyes.

�� Vikram pulled her
into a tight hug, one of his hands holding her head firmly to his chest. Emiko
was surprised to feel her eyes leaking a bit. She shook, whether with cold or
emotion she didn�t know, and Vikram held her closer.

�� I�m never calling
you Emiko again. I should never have humored you with that, anyway. I�m so
sorry, Sasaki,� he muttered into her hair, pulling her closer still.

�� She hugged him
back for lack of anything better to do. �Why did you?� She asked, her voice
muffled by his chest.

�� Because
you asked me to call you that. I couldn�t refuse�you looked so
different, your eyes were so haunted, although you didn�t seem to think they
were. They were distant and� weird. And you kept saying you were a girl,
someone named Emiko. I just� you needed support, so I gave it to you. But I�m
not doing that anymore, Emi. Can I� call you Sasaki now?�

�� Emiko nodded
against his chest. Vikram pulled back a bit, and when she looked up, it was in
time for his lips to descend on hers. It was soft and quick and very undecided, as if Vikram was still testing himself.
Emiko leaned back a bit, just staring into his eyes.

�� You don�t know
yet, do you?� She asked. Vikram looked conflicted and shook his head. �It�s
okay, you still have time. Tell me when you do, okay?�

�� He nodded and
hugged her again. �I�m sorry, Sasaki, I�m still really confused,� he admitted.

�� Emiko chuckled a
bit. �That makes two of us.�

�� How
so?� He asked, his eyebrows raising in
question.

�� Well, I�m trying
to decide if I�m a man or not. I still feel like a girl, but I�ve got
man-parts, and they react in a manly wa��

�� Okay, I get the
picture,� Vikram said, dumping her from his lap and standing up, blushing and
purposefully not looking at her.

�� They aren�t now, you dolt!� She yelled in
exasperation. �As if I would get turned on by you!�

�� Vikram whirled
around, his face surprised and his eyes filled with something that looked
suspiciously like hurt. �You� wouldn�t?� he asked in a tiny voice.

�� She felt like
hitting herself in the face. �You�re such an idiot! Of�of course I
would, but I wouldn�t now! We�re in
the middle of Central Park, freezing to death!�

�� And suddenly, she
was thrown into the snow, Vikram on top of her, coughing in a way that didn�t
sound healthy.

�� Vikram?� she
asked, but the Indian man was already dragging her to her feet, his Innocence
blazing around his wrist. Emiko felt herself being pulled down the paved trail,
faster than her liking. She looked back and saw, with horror, the familiar,
smiling face of Noah�s Strength. Emiko activated her Nunchucks
and wrenched her arm from Vikram�s grasp. Turning on
her heel, she faced the advancing Noah.

�� Her Innocence
impacted the man�s chest but he wasn�t fazed at all, it only succeeded in
diverting his punch, which landed in her gut, sending her flying. All the
breath was knocked from her lungs, and she was unable to move.

�� She watched
helplessly as Vikram�s Innocence struck, snakelike,
at the Noah, winding around Strength�s wrist and biting down like a viper,
releasing Innocence-ridden venom into the muscled man�s bloodstream. Strength
hissed in pain but was strong enough to grab the Innocence constricting his
wrist and yank it forward, Vikram flying along with it. Strength�s fist
connected sickeningly with Vikram�s jaw. Emiko tried
to stand up, but her stomach muscles were cramping too hard. She watched once
more as Vikram was tossed away like a ragdoll. A few meters away, an
all-too-familiar door appeared. Emiko sunk farther back into the snow.

�� Road was there.

�� Kanda and Lavi both walked out, carrying activated Innocence in their hands
and glaring angrily at the strong Noah who was decimating the Asian Exorcists.

�� Fuck!� She heard
Kanda exclaim. A second later, she heard an explosion, and when she looked up,
she saw three Level Threes raining attacks down on the newly-arrived Exorcists.

�� Chaz, stop this!� Road screamed, but Lavi held her back.

�� This isn�t your
fight, Road! We�re not in your world or the Ark. You can�t manipulate anything.
Just let us deal with the bastard,� the redheaded Exorcist said. She deflated
and moved backward, walking back through her door dejectedly.

�� Hiding, are you?�
A voice above her cackled. While she hadn�t been
paying attention, Strength had come up next to her, and now he was looming
evilly, just as he had back when Emiko had been a little girl. She couldn�t
move to get away, her stomach muscles wouldn�t work, and her legs were like
puddles of jelly.

�� He kicked her,
hitting the tender spot he�d already punched. She went flying again, passing
over a mailbox before landing in another snowdrift. There were two explosions
as Kanda and Lavi destroyed two of the Level Threes. Eyes tearing up in pain,
coughing up blood, Emiko watched the rest of the battle, transfixed.

�� Kanda turned to
the last Akuma, a determined glimmer in his eye. Behind him, Strength loomed.
The American Noah hauled back for a disfiguring punch, but Lavi screamed
something and jumped in its path. Chaz�s fist
connected with the redhead�s shoulder, and there was a resounding pop as Lavi, too, went flying. There was
a strange sound as he hit the cement. Lavi whimpered, the pole of his Innocence
extending toward the Noah, only to be batted away as if it was nothing more
threatening than a fly.

�� By that time, the
third Level Three was nothing more than flames and oil, and Kanda turned around
to face off with the Noah. A door appeared in midair, and Road jumped out,
attacking him like a feral monkey. She screeched and brought her arms too
tightly around the Noah�s large, muscled neck.

�� Chaz! What happened to Moral Strength? Stop
attacking them, they haven�t done anything wrong!� She exclaimed, tightening
her arms. Two candles appeared in her hands, though she couldn�t manipulate
them like she could in her own world or in the Ark. Emiko found herself
glad�she�d been on the end of those candles before, and it hadn�t been
pleasant. Her arm twitched in remembered pain, but she ignored it, trying and
failing to stand again. She coughed, too hard, and more blood ruined the pure
white blanket of snow.

�� Chaz started to turn blue behind his ashen features. Road
began stabbing him anywhere she could reach with the candles, though they
barely broke his skin at all. Kanda was already trying to cut at the dark Noah,
though his attacks did barely any more damage. Scowling, Kanda activated his
blade further.

�� Shigentou,� he muttered, and his blade separated
into two. The blades then connected with the addition of two more that became
rounded near Kanda�s hands. It was a deadly, double-ended spear that would cut
anyone but Kanda�and perhaps, Emiko amended, Lavi.

�� Another door
appeared a moment later, this one from the Ark, and Emiko let herself pass out
as a veritable line of Exorcists marched out to face Chaz,
who was starting to look panicked. There was another blow that hit her. She
dropped down, unable to stop the blackness from eating at her vision.

---

�� The snake of beads
shot out, biting at Strength with all of Vikram�s
willpower. Moyashi sent his sword
after the Noah, who dodged it, leaving Emiko-kun and running through a
hastily-made Ark portal. Yuu made to run after the Noah, but then he remembered
Lavi was lying somewhere, injured, because he had been stupid enough to jump in
front of him.

�� Who�s injured?�
He heard Allen call out as he searched for the stupid redhead. If he was still
alive, Yuu was going to kill him. He passed Road, who was covered in
blood�whether hers or someone else�s, Yuu didn�t care. She was tending to the
Ass-Crack Indian. He was thrashing at her, but in the end, he was too weak to
hold her off for long. Yuu saw Road�s disappointed look but passed by, not
caring if she was upset over one tiny rebuke. In his opinion, she shouldn�t
have expected everyone to forgive her at all. It was surprising how many people
had. Yuu himself was indifferent to the situation. There was a small anger left
over from the time she�d hurt Lavi, but other than that, he had no real opinion
of the girl, nor did he need one.

�� He heard a groan
that sounded very rabbit-like, but as he looked around, he couldn�t find its
source.

�� Kanda!�
Moyashi called. Yuu looked over.
Perhaps Moyashi had found his lo� Lavi? Shaking his head, he strode quickly over to the shock
of white hair a few meters away. It didn�t make sense that he couldn�t even
admit to himself that Lavi was his lover, and it
annoyed him. But this wasn�t the time to dwell on that.

�� He scowled down
and the white-haired idiot, who was currently splayed over Lavi�s legs,
obviously having tripped over them.

�� You want to help
me carry Lavi to the hospital?� He asked, smiling sheepishly up at Yuu. The
dark-haired Exorcist intensified his scowl, and Allen shivered. It gave Yuu a
warm feeling that he could still scare other people.

�� Moyashi pulled himself up onto his knees
and then asked, �Lavi, what hurts?�

�� My pride,� Lavi
groaned. �I think my shoulder got dislocated from that pu�and FUCK ALLEN, DON�T
TOUCH MY HIP!�

�� Yuu hit Allen
upside the head in a gesture to get him to go away. Moyashi got the picture and moved back to create a door into the
Ark. He went inside and returned a moment later with a gurney. Yuu stared
contemplatively down at Lavi, unsure of how to move him. It seemed that any way
would hurt him, and though the other man deserved it, the thought of hurting
him was actually repulsive to the dark-haired
man. Bending down and snaking an arm under both Lavi�s back and knees, Yuu
heaved him up. Lavi whimpered as he was moved, but Yuu only glared.

�� If it hurts, you
shouldn�t have gotten yourself injured,� he growled, dropping Lavi
unceremoniously onto the gurney. Lavi whimpered again. Rolling him roughly
inside, Yuu tried to ignore Lavi�s tiny, pained noises. Thankfully, the man was
taken away by several doctors, and Yuu was left to follow, somewhat relieved
that he wouldn�t have to face Lavi for a while. He was too angry to do it now.

�� An hour passed as
Yuu meditated on the Ark�s hospital�s floor. It was uncomfortable, and he
wished he had a mat, but it was better than simply staring at Lavi�s door.
Because somehow, angry as he was, he was worried even more.

�� His peace was
interrupted by a loud popping noise and Lavi�s exclamation of �OH, FUCK!� Losing his balance as he tried to stand up, Yuu quickly righted
himself and slammed into the room.

�� Oh, Yuu-chan,
you�re�HOLY FUCKING JESUS!� Another popping noise echoed through the room as
the doctors realigned his hip.

�� Okay, we need
post-reduction x-rays on his shoulder and hip, and you�� the doctor turned and pointed almost accusatively at Lavi,
��need to refrain from strenuous activities for a while. This includes your
duties as an Exorcist, so you�ll be off the active list. I expect you to be on
bed rest for three weeks.�

�� Wait�what? What
did I do to deserve this?� Lavi asked. Yuu scoffed quietly, enough so that Lavi
couldn�t hear it.

�� Your original
x-rays show a tiny hairline fracture in your hip. It�ll get worse if you don�t
stay off it�or we could bandage it, if you want,� the doctor offered, grinning
in a nearly evil fashion.

�� No, that�s okay,�
Lavi said nervously, blanching slightly.

�� And strenuous
activities include sex, so don�t even think of that,� the doctor warned. Yuu
tried not to look disappointed, though Lavi was making a sad enough expression
for the both of them. Because he was
disappointed that Lavi wouldn�t be able to touch
him. He didn�t know when it had begun, but at some point, Yuu had started
craving the other man, had started wanting to be in physical contact with him.
But he was also glad that Lavi was getting punished in a way that would equate
to torture. He deserved it for doing this
to Yuu.

�� The doctor left
the room, allowing Yuu a bit of time before Lavi was taken off to the x-rays
again. The second Yuu was sure the healthcare official was out of earshot, he
rounded on the redhead, glare back on his face and scowl on his features.

�� What the fuck was
that, Lavi?� He inquired, making his voice as icy as he could manage. Lavi
paled further.

�� What are you
talking about, Yuu?� He asked in a quivering voice. If he hadn�t already had
two dislocated appendages and a slightly broken bone, Yuu would have punched
the idiot.

�� You jumped in front of me,� He hissed.

�� You were going to
get hurt, what else could I do?� Lavi exclaimed, trying to sit up in his
aggravation and grimacing.

�� I can heal�you
can�t, so don�t you ever do that
again! This is why I didn�t want you
to know about the Lotus! I knew you
were going to do something stupid
like this. Just don�t� don�t ever do it again.� His voice grew very soft as he
finished his plea�and that�s what it was, Yuu could admit without losing any of
his pride�and Lavi stirred again, as if trying to get up and then thinking
better of it.

�� I just don�t want
you getting hurt any further. If you� die�� Lavi choked on the word, as if he
couldn�t quite say it, couldn�t quite comprehend the possibility, ��then I
will, too. I don�t want us to die, Yuu.�

�� Baka,� Yuu whispered, walking over and
taking Lavi�s hand. He didn�t want to hug him for fear of hurting his shoulder
any more. Lavi looked up at him, seeming surprised. �I refuse to die. I have
too much to live for now.�

�� Lavi�s eye melted
from a hardened, defensive expression to one of liquid jade. Yuu cursed himself
for being overly-poetic. Lavi�s eye was green, not jade. Just
green. But regardless of what it was, it
melted, softened as Lavi�s face did the same. He looked tenderly up at Yuu in a
way the dark-haired man couldn�t understand.

�� Aw, Yuu, you�re
flattering me,� he said, fluttering his eye in a way that made Yuu want to punch him.

�� Shut up. I want
to die now,� he replied, ripping his hand from Lavi�s and storming from the
room, ignoring the plaintive �Yuuuuuuu!� that
followed him.

---

�� Walking out into
the courtyard, Yuu was both shocked and annoyed to see all the idiots making
merry in front of a large screen set up next to Road. Curious despite himself,
he walked up.

�� f you could just
wait a minute, I�ll try to contact her. I can access her dreams if I try hard
enough�� Road was saying, looking exasperatedly out at the
crowd of soldiers.

�� What is she
doing?� A soldier asked another as Yuu walked by. He slowed his gait in order
to hear the answer.

�� She�s going to
contact the Noah of Faith. I don�t know why, but apparently, she may know the
Earl�s plans or something��

�� Yuu walked on, not
caring for the rest of the sentence. He strode over to Moyashi, who was holding Lenalee�s hand and looking anxiously over
at Road.

�� She�s awake?� The
girl in question said, sounding both shocked and relieved. She put a hand up to
her forehead and closed her eyes, her face going slack as she left the
conscious world. Abruptly, the screen jumped to life, and a voice came over the
speaker.

�� I hope you guys
can hear me.�

�� Road appeared on
the screen at a dining table. �Faith,�
the girl said, and abruptly, there was a thick wire of some sort at Road�s
side. She plucked it, sending a strong vibration down it as if playing a harp.
A door in her mind opened, and a girl stepped into the room.

�� Yuu had never
cared for looks, though he definitely didn�t mind Lavi�s, but this girl was
nothing short of beautiful. The very air glowed around her in a holy light,
emphasizing her dark brown hair that cascaded to her ankles. She had shocking
blue eyes, which didn�t quite fit with her Middle Eastern appearance, but Yuu ignored
that because this girl was literally perfect.
He immediately made the connection. This Noah of Faith was pure, strong, and
obviously the origin of the others. Her stigmata was
much like Allen�s, Lenalee�s, and Road�s, but it seemed even more graceful, if that
was possible.

�� Is everything set
up?� Faith asked, as if Road hadn�t just had this idea spur-of-the-moment.

�� Yes, they�re
watching now. You�re awake? Has the Earl stopped drugging you?� Road
questioned, her face a mask of worry.

�� Yes, he�s
convinced that I�m with him now,� the holy girl responded. She chuckled
lightly, her voice chiming like bells in a way that was too perfect for Yuu to
be angry at. �He should see that I�m not, but he�s too blinded by the thought
of revenge to see that I haven�t darkened.�

�� I would be very
sad if you did that,� Road said quietly. Faith smiled down at her, another
radiant smile that failed to boil Yuu�s blood.

�� You�re too sweet,
Road. Now, I�m going to converse with him. He hasn�t told me the complete plan
yet. He�s only just told me in broad terms what he�s going to do.� She smiled
wryly and looked toward the screen. �You all must stop him. Six must never
happen.�

�� Yuu had no idea
what the fuck she was talking about, but he took her word for it. The raw fear
that marred her face convinced him to stay and listen, rather than grab Lavi
and wheel him out. He could tell the stupid rabbit later.

�� A window appeared
as the heavenly girl walked out of the room, supposedly back to reality. The
window grew larger until that was all that appeared on the screen. Through it,
Yuu saw a small room. The walls were a nice, even white, and the curtains were
likewise. A soft golden comforter covered an eggshell-white bed. In the corner
was a small desk crafted from what Yuu supposed was cherry, though he wasn�t
sure, not being a carpenter. The only other thing he saw was a cheery window
with a small alcove to sit in, much like the one he�d found Miranda in the
other day.

�� It was a beautiful
room, just like the girl who resided in it. The first sign of discord was the
door�made of the same wood as the desk�opening to admit a fat man in an
overcoat. The Earl. He smiled down at the heavenly
girl, taking his top hat from his head, sweeping down into a bow.

�� How are we today,
my dear ♥?� He asked,
his voice high in a way that forced ripples down Yuu�s spine. He scowled at the
screen. He need not fear the Earl. It
was unnecessary.

�� I�m just perfect
today, Earl. You�ve been dancing around one topic that I�d really like to know
about, though,� Faith began innocently. The Earl raised his eyebrows, which Yuu
was vaguely surprised he had. Not that he would mention that to anyone. It just
didn�t seem right for their enemy to have humanlike features. It made them all
the more similar, and it made him all the more hard to kill.

�� And what is that,
Faith ♥?� The Earl asked almost sweetly.
The tone made Yuu want to empty his breakfast onto the cobblestones.

�� Well, it is for
my revenge� and I was kinda hoping� you would tell me
what your plan is,� Faith said, looking down and blushing convincingly as she
fiddled with her fingers. �If you
actually do it, and Allen and Lenalee don�t stop you, I�ll kill you, you
bastard!� She shouted, though her lips didn�t move. Yuu made an interested
grunt as he realized those were her inner thoughts.

�� Really ♥? You really want to know? It�s really
great ♥!�

�� Really?�
Faith asked, looking up at the Earl with an innocent expression of
near-happiness and anticipation. �No,
it�s not great! It�s horrible! So many people are going to die!�

�� Well, this is
what I have planned out so far, though I don�t know when to do it. Perhaps you
can help me ♥,� the Earl offered, turning
his palms up invitingly. Faith smiled and gestured for him to continue. �I�m
going to create a Level Six�I�ve told you that before, though, haven�t I?� At
Faith�s nod, he continued. �Well, I�ve decided I�m sick of waiting for them to
find me, so I�ll take the battle to them ♥.
I�m thinking The Eye in London, so people across the sea can see as well. And isn�t it poetic that it
is also called the Millennium Wheel? It shall be our vehicle to revenge ♥.�

�� Wow, Earl, that�s
really� I don�t even have a word to describe it!� Faith exclaimed, smiling.
Looking closely, Yuu saw it didn�t meet her eyes. �Six can never happen, six can never happen, six can never happen...
Where did he get all the pieces?�

�� Yuu raised his
eyebrows. Pieces?

�� But Earl, how can
you create it? You�ve only got the eye, the flesh, and the blood, right? You
can�t create a Level Six without a heart, too, right?� She asked, sounding
slightly worried. In her head, she added. �Where
did he get it? How did he get it?
This doesn�t make sense. None of the Exorcists have died besides poor Artemis,
Bak, and Kevin�� Who was Kevin? ��and
all their bodies were recovered. Road would have told me� unless something
happened today?�

�� Road appeared on
the screen, next to the window. �No, Faith,� she said quietly, holding the wire
she�d plucked a few minutes before. �No one died today. I don�t know what he�s
talking about either.�

�� Chaz failed to get an Exorcist heart, as you know, so we�ll
have to settle for something� sub-par ♥.
But don�t you worry, Faith, it�ll take a little longer, but the Six will be
just as strong ♥,� the Earl reassured her.
Faith�s eye became wide in horror, though she managed to hide it quickly as
acute joy.

�� Oh, Earl, this is
great news! I have the perfect day!� In her head, blaring on the screen, she
implored Road, �How soon can you guys be
ready?�

�� Allen looked
around, surveying the soldiers. �Maybe February, at the
earliest. They still could use a bit of training, and we�re injured. We
need time to heal.�

�� Road conveyed the
message to Faith as the Earl asked her for the date she wanted. �Why, February the
fourteen,� Faith said, smiling. �It�s very poetic isn�t it?�

�� Yuu hated poetic
things.

�� The Earl brought a
hand to his chin contemplatively. �Hmmm� that�s perfect, Faith ♥. What a great idea. The fourteenth day
of the second month in the year 2014. It�s absolutely stunning. It�s� as
perfect as you ♥.�

�� It must never happen, don�t let it happen,
it must never happen, don�t let it happen�� Faith chanted in her head, the
mantra growing ever louder as the Earl left the room and the window into
Faith�s room collapsed into nothing. Still, the litany continued, stronger than
before, until Faith was screaming it through the Ark. Road descended back into
the real world and the connection severed, cutting Faith�s near-tirade off in
the middle. When Yuu looked at Road, she was crying, but he didn�t care about
her. Lavi needed to know.

�� When he got back
to the hospital, Lavi was grimacing in slight pain, and the doctor was
lecturing him about some insignificant thing he�d probably just done.

�� Out,� Yuu
grunted, gesturing for the doctor to leave by placing a hand on Mugen�s suddenly
activated hilt. The doctor nodded and left, though he shot Yuu a dirty look, as
if he didn�t like being threatened or something. �Lavi, there�s been an
interesting� development.�

�� Oh, has Allen
finally gotten together with Lenalee?� Lavi asked lightly. Yuu sighed.

�� No, idiot, we
know where the Earl will be on the fourteenth of February�and what he�s doing.�
Lavi�s eyebrow shot up beyond his hairline in acute interest, and Yuu continued
on in the explanation. When he was finished, Lavi hit the back of his head on
the gurney he was still lying atop.

�� He didn�t comment
on it, just stared Yuu in the eye and wordlessly begged him to get him out of
the fucking hospital. Yuu picked him up and carried him awkwardly back to the
room. He ignored the incredulous stares of the other Exorcists and soldiers as
he hauled Lavi across the Ark.

---

�� Allen stared at
the ridiculous sight ahead and then turned back to Lenalee, who had Road in her
lap. The latter of the two was shaking heavily, for some reason Allen didn�t
know, but he felt callous just ignoring it.

�� Hey, Road,� he
said, kneeling down to be more on her level, �why don�t you go with Amanda.
She�ll definitely cheer you up.�

�� Amanda, who had
come up, no doubt concerned for her newfound friend, nodded emphatically and
ushered Road away, already chatting about things they could do. By the time
they reached the Exorcist alleyway, Road was beginning to laugh again.

�� He turned to
Lenalee, offering her a hand, which she took, pulling herself up. She reached
out and hugged him immediately, burrowing her head underneath his chin. She
made a sniffing noise, and Allen shifted back a bit.

�� Lenalee, what are
you doing?� He asked, not quite sure what to make of the situation.

�� I�m smelling you,� she responded against his collarbone.
Allen blushed.

�� May I ask why?�
He inquired, shifting subtly.

�� So I�ll never
forget it,� she replied simply.

�� Do I smell nice?�
He asked, feeling awkward.

�� Yes, like
something green and alive, like leather, and like� like home,� she muttered, her lips brushing against his collarbone
again.� Allen shivered in a pleasant way.
Lenalee thought of him as home, and that in itself was sweeter than Jerry�s
best mitarashi dango. He
pulled her closer, encircling his arms around her slim waist. She sighed, the
breath parting against his neck in a sensual way.

�� Lenalee�� he
said, leaning back so that he could look into her eyes. She looked so sweet in
that moment, caring and beautiful and so inexorably Lenalee. That look reminded him of exactly why he loved this girl,
why he would move more than earth and sky just to keep her safe and happy, why
he would splay himself down as her servant if she merely asked.

�� He wished it had
been he who had made the soup, rather than Kanda. He had been too sick, though,
and Kanda�s had tasted very good, he would admit
grudgingly. But if Lenalee would let him, he would take care of her. Always.

�� What the fuck? He thought. When did I become such a sap? But it was
for Lenalee, and he�d be anything for her.

---

A/N: Shorter chapter than the ones leading up to it, but there you go!
We got Emiko/Vikram, Kanda/Lavi, AND the long-awaited Allen/Lenalee. So, we
were super-channeling Allen in that last bit, and he just MADE us write it that
way, and we were like �wtf? Why�s he such a sap!?� And the thing is, he would be. :�( Grow some balls, Allen,
you�ll need them. (That�s not a hint at possible Allen/Lenalee smuts, �cause that would destroy the whole story. And it wouldn�t
happen. They�re too� oblivious, for one, and Allen�s still a pussy when it
comes to admitting his feelings. So there.)

A/N2: Damn
you, FUNimation, for making the Earl sound like he
has throat cancer ♥! And watch out for the
Millennium Veal! (Yes, that�s what Em1 called him�Em2 loves it when she uses
her fantabulous German accent)
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Innocent Rain