And Dare Not Speak Love's Name

And Dare Not Speak Love's Name


A Fanfiction By SailorLight22


Chapter Five - Amitto


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Wow, chapter five.. This is coming along pretty well, I think! Thanks to all the readers, especially the one's who've reviewed, you wouldn't believe how helpful it is! Anyway, let's get on with it, eh?


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Allen awoke to the sound of his lover's voice, the strident battle cries rousing him with a jerk that sent him tumbling from the bed in a tangle of blankets. Struggling free, he peered around the edge of the footboard, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Kanda stood in the center of the room, brandishing his sword furiously at nothing. Rising to his feet, he raised his voice to be heard over the other man's yells of fury. "Kanda! What the Hell are you doing?!"

The swordsman whirled around, narrowly missing his lover with his blade. "There's a fucking thing in my boot! I put my foot in it! Then I shook it and the damned thing tried to bite me!" The other Exorcist stared at his enraged visage skeptically.

"Are you sure you're awake? If there really were something in there, it couldn't be all that big, Kanda." He reached down, ignoring his lover's strangled reply. Lifting the boot, he gave it an experimental jiggle, and peered inside.

All Hell broke loose.

To Kanda, it seemed as if his lover had developed a sudden case of epilepsy. The white-haired boy abruptly flung the boot away and commenced to flail at himself with a frantic shriek, his words too garbled with panic to understand. Something small and equally loud clung to his shirtfront, scrabbling at the soft material as it dodged the Exorcist's hands. Stumbling back, Allen's knees hit the edge of the bedframe, sending him headlong over it and onto the floor.

Kanda moved to help, pausing at a rapid pounding on the door. Yelling a short acknowledgement, he scowled at the tousled red head that appeared. "Lavi, this is not a good time! Something is attacking Moyashi." He ignored the other's confused look, rounding on the now-silent bundle that was his lover. "Moyashi? Are you..What is that!?" He bolted forward, leaning down to stare into the boy's cupped hands. For a moment, he was silent. Then..

"It's a RAT! It's a disfigured mutant RAT!" He staggered back, tripping over himself in his haste. "Why are you holding it? Urgh, I put my foot on it!" He leapt to his feet, backing away. "Get rid of it! It has spines! Why are you laughing?! Throw it out the Goddamned window! Don't just sit there!" He suddenly remembered his sword, pointing it at the giggling boy's hands. "Just.. put it down. Put. It. Down. I'll get it."

Lavi grabbed his arm, pulling him around. "Wait a minute! She's not a rat, Yuu-chan!" He ignored the other's growl at the use of his name, shaking his head. "I don't know how she got in here, but you're not slicing up my baby!" Kanda stared at him in horror.

"Baby? What the fuck do you mean baby?! It's an abomination!"

Lavi shook his head, walking around the spluttering Exorcist to retrieve his pet. "Aw, he didn't mean it, sweety. Yuu-chan's always hard to deal with when he wakes up.." He took the tiny creature from Allen's hands, turning to face the samurai. "See? Not a rat, Yuu-chan. 'Antha's a hedgehog. Completely different." Kanda scowled at him, pointing his sword at the shivering creature.

"Do not bring that thing over here. Take your rat and get out, Lavi."

The redhead sighed patiently, stroking the animal's head comfortingly. "She's not a rat, Yuu. Look, you hurt her feelings!" He held the still-whimpering figure close to his chest, glaring at the disgusted samurai. "Allen's not hurt, are you?" He turned to the shorter boy, smiling at his negative. "See? She didn't mean to attack anybody, you just scared her. Why don't you pet her and say you're sorry? Then you'll get along just fine, she's friendly!"

Allen stood up, peering around the taller boy's shoulder. "Aah, cute! Will she let me pet her? I was holding her, and she didn't bite me or anything.. She was all curled up though."

Lavi positively beamed at the younger boy, offering him the now-calm animal. "She likes it when you rub her belly.. see? It's furry!" Allen took a closer look, bouncing excitedly when the hedgehog squeaked curiously.

"Aah, she does! Oooh, she wants me to! She rolled right over! Oh God, that's adorable!" He stroked the preferred stomach, still ranting about the utter cuteness of the squirming animal. "Her little feet! Kanda, look at her feet! Waa, she's ticklish! She kicks like a dog when you..!"

The swordsman snorted, shaking his head. "I'm not moving. I can't believe you're so worked up over a prickly rat, Moyashi! Him I can understand, he's an idiot.. But I thought you had more sense." The two glared at him fiercely, replying at once.

"She's not a rat!"

Kanda crossed his arms defiantly, glaring back. "It crawls through the walls, squeaks, and it gets in people's shoes." He shook his head at the twin stares of doom. "Just get it out of my room, idiot." Allen drew himself up to his negligible full height.

"Your room? I thought it was our room! You wanted me in here, didn't you?!" He advanced on the suddenly nervous swordsman, his face dark with wrath. "You're horrible! She didn't hurt anything, she was sleeping! You stuck your big foot on her and it scared her! Then you started yelling and swinging your sword around like a lunatic! She's just a baby! You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Kanda flushed, his eye twitching dangerously. "I'm not ashamed of anything, Moyashi. The damn thing was in my boot, how was I supposed to know what it was? And what the hell do you mean, my big foot? My feet are fine, thank you!"

Allen snorted, shaking his head. "Well, compared to her, they're.. ginormous!" Lavi blinked at his back in amusement.

"Er... I'm pretty sure that's not a real word, Moyashi.." The white haired Exorcist shot him a Look.

"It is now. I used it, it made sense, and he understood me perfectly." Meanwhile, the 'he' in question had begun to see that this would not be his day. Doing his best to control the urge to throttle his lover, he took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"Allen, you know I didn't mean it like that." He stepped forward, raising a hand to pull the fuming Exorcist closer. "I just.. I don't like rats. If it's not a rat, then fine. Come here, Lavi, and bring.." He winced, hiding a shudder of disgust. "Bring.. whatever her name was with you."

The redhead eyed him warily, but complied. Keeping a close watch on both his friend and his pet, he held out his hand with a grin. "See? 'Antha's not a rat. She doesn't even have a tail! Well, no a ratty one, anyway." He stroked the tiny animal's head, pointing at her spines. "She's not even six months old, really. 'Mui gave her to me a couple of months ago, she snuck into one of the Finder's packs while they were in Africa. Just let her sniff you, and you can pet her."

Kanda frowned at the seemingly-harmless rodent, leaning closer. "Only that idiot would give someone a.." He glanced quickly over at his expectant lover. "A hedgehog as a gift." Turning his attention back to the silent animal, he poked a finger carefully in the direction of her twitching whiskers. "Oi, sasu-nezumi. Kotchi yo.." She stared up at him with shining eyes, leaning back. He moved his hand closer, trying to appear nonthreatening.

"ssss.."

Allen squealed softly, bouncing. "Aah, is she hissing? That's just..!" Lavi tapped the animal's nose gently, his tone chiding.

"Nooo no! That's bad. You shouldn't hiss at Uncle Yuu-chan, 'Antha! He's trying to be nice!"

Allen snickered loudly, covering his mouth at the samurai's indignant growl. The older boy ignored the sound, once again offering his finger. "Kotchi... ARGH! Shit! The goddamned thing bit me! I'll cut it's ratty little ass in half!" He reached for his sword, lunging at the wide-eyed Exorcist and his satisfied pet.

Lavi yowled in alarm, scrambling away from the murderous onslaught. "Wait! I didn't do it! Yuu, wait!" He dodged a particularly dangerous swing, hearing the blade thunk deeply into the wall where his head had been. "It's just a little bite! She has little teeth! It's a scratch!"

Kanda advanced, striding past his lover, who was currently crouched on the floor howling with glee. "The damn thing probably has the plague! I'm doing the world a favor if I get rid of you and your rat all at once!"

The redhead beat a hasty retreat through the still-open door, wincing at the blistering curses from the room behind him. "Sorry!" He called over his shoulder, ducking around a corner to catch his breath, scowling down at his cupped hands. "That was bad, 'Antha! Yuu-chan's convinced that you're a rat, Allen's no help at all, and I almost lost what's left of my ass back there? Are you happy?"

The tiny animal purred softly, nuzzling his fingers. Lavi dropped all pretense of being annoyed, stroking her still-soft spines in amusement. "Don't do that anymore, bad girl. You're too cute to be mad at, but Yuu-chan has a looong memory, so stay away from there, all right?" The look she gave him was oddly human in its way, almost as if she too found the boy's reaction humorous.

Lavi shook his head in exasperation, lifting her to eye-level. "The Moyashi, he likes you. He's okay, just not the other one. Get me?" The noise she made was unmistakably derisive, and he laughed, allowing her to rub her face against his cheek. "All right, let's go back to 'Mui's room, I kinda just left him there when I heard all the yelling."

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Komui blinked, biting his lip as the now-familiar landscape swam into existence around him. The misshapen forest rose over his head, the blackened and mangled branches rasping against each other with creaking protests as the metallic-scented air moved sluggishly through them.

Turning his head, he shuddered in instinctive disgust at the heat-blackened oak tree nearby, clenching his fists as he waited for the inevitable horror that stood beneath it to acknowledge him.

'Why are you still so angry?'

He shook his head tiredly. "I don't want to be here. This place is unclean, why do you keep bringing me back?" The false form of his lover laughed, the sound unnervingly similar to the scraping sounds of the deformed treebranches overhead.

'You found me all on your own, didn't you? You swore to stay with me, so aren't you coming here to keep your word?'

He snorted at the wavering shade. "I never promised you anything. You're as much a lie as the rest of this.. Place. None of this means anything, it'll be gone when I wake up."

'You know better. I'm as real as you are, don't you know that yet? But it doesn't matter.. Soon, I really will be gone when you wake. Will you seek me out, then?'

Komui strode forward, pausing only feet from the grinning figure. "I'll be glad to see you gone. You aren't the one I need, all you are is a vision." The dark boy laughed softly, stretching out a hand that writhed with pestilent shapes.

'When you say that, I think you break my heart, 'Mui.'

The man growled indignantly. "Don't you call me that! That's only for him to say, damn you!" He waved his hand impatiently, indicating the figure's decimated chest. "You don't even have a heart. You never have, you're nothing but a rotten shell. Nothing about you is even close to being him. Nothing." The malformed shade grinned tauntingly, seemingly unperturbed by the maggots that feasted on it's lipless mouth and tongue.

'Then wake up, lover. See for yourself where the real me should lay.. Why isn't he with you instead of only me?'

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Komui jerked awake, his hands already thrust out in the direction of his lover's body. Finding his place both cold and empty, he felt a momentary surge of panic. Bolting upright, he strode to his closet, hastily pulling on a pair of casual pants before reaching for a shirt. Hearing a familiar tread in the hall, he dropped the shirt he'd chosen, crossing the room and yanking open the door.

Taking in the surprised face of his lover, he found himself suddenly furious. "Where the hell were you?" He demanded, hauling the younger male into the room by one arm. Slamming the door behind him, he rounded on the other with a growl of annoyance. "Why didn't you say anything? You just left without a damned word!"

Lavi shrank back from his angry voice. "I didn't.. I just.. I'm sorry! I heard somebody screaming, 'Mui! It woke me up, so I went to see what was going on!" He straightened, glaring up at his wide-eyed companion. "What the fuck is your problem? After the shit with the Ark, I can't believe you didn't hear it!" The man advanced on him steadily, backing him to the wall.

"My problem is waking up without any idea where the person I fell asleep with is! Do you have the faintest clue how much that sca.. What's that noise?" He broke off, listening intently as a faint but strident hissing sound registered. "What is that?"

Lavi jumped, glancing down at his clasped hands. "Acantha! You stop that right now! 'Mui isn't going to do anything, stop hissing!" Komui blinked at the fiercely ruffled animal, backing up a step.

"Oh, God.. She really does think.. I'm sorry, Lavi, I didn't mean to.." He shook his head, horrified at himself. "I'm sorry! I just.. You were gone, I thought.." Lavi stared up at him in surprise, his indignation turning to concern as the older man paled.

"What's wrong, 'Mui? Did you think I bailed on you?" He walked quickly to the dresser, placing his still-unnerved pet in her box atop it. Returning to the man's side, he frowned at the disgusted expression on his face. "I'm sorry I didn't wake you, but I had to see what was going on. If there had really been something out there, I would've had to protect you, that's my job! I thought you'd wake up, too." He tugged gently at the scientist's hand, urging him to the bed. "I would never have done that to you. I love you, 'Mui, and that isn't going to change because of something like what we did."

He sat, pulling the shaken man down beside him. "Why would you even think like that? Do you not trust me, Komui?" The other shook his head quickly, latching on to the shorter boy's arms. He moved him closer, holding on tightly as he rested his head against his lover's shoulder.

"I trust you with my life, Tatao. I'm sorry for being like that, I just woke badly and it frightened me..Please, can you forgive me for being so stupid?" Lavi snorted quietly, accepting his embrace.

"If you being stupid was a problem, I wouldn't have been in your bed this morning. Just don't do that anymore, all right? You scared 'Antha half to death, 'Mui." He jerked his head in the direction of the dresser. "I don't know how she managed it, but she was in Yuu-chan's boot when he tried to put it on. They.. kinda don't like each other. Moyashi absolutely adores her though."

The older man raised an eyebrow, following his lover's gaze to the animal's box. "I hope she doesn't hold a grudge," He said, shaking his head. "I'd hate to have her angry at me, she's very protective of you, Lavi." The Exorcist nodded thoughtfully.

"She's been like that for a while now. Maybe it's just because she's getting older.." He snickered quietly at the memory of his friend's horrible expression. "Yuu-chan thought she was some kind of mutant rat." Komui laughed, shaking his head.

"He was afraid of her? I wouldn't have pegged him for someone that couldn't deal with a little thing like that." He leaned closer to his giggling lover. "You've got that look that says you know more than you're telling, Lavi.." The redhead nodded happily.

"There is a reason for it, but I'm not going to say. Yuu-chan would go ballistic if I told."

Komui scowled, hiding a faint smile behind the gesture. "Oh, I see how it is. That's all right, Tatao, I actually know a few things that I've managed not to share, too."

Lavi snorted in disbelief. "You can't keep a secret to save your life, 'Mui! Remember the thing with the..!" The scientist cut him off with a kiss, catching his startled hum with his mouth.

"I remember all of the things you could mention, Lavi. Let's not go through the whole list, hm?" The younger boy nodded, laughing.

"If you say so, 'Mui. Are you all right now?" He smiled at the man's firm nod, leaning against his shoulder companionably. "Good. That reminds me, haven't there been any reports at all? I can't even remember how long it's been since so many of us were here at once, maybe things are letting up a little?"

Komui shrugged, glancing at the ominously-hissing box on his dresser. "Even the ultimate evil must need a break.. It could be a bad sign, but hopefully they're starting to run out of options." He indicated the box with a nod. "She sounds a little.. Maybe you should just let her bite me and get it over with, Tatao?"

Lavi snorted, shaking his head. "I'm not letting her bite you, 'Mui. She'll be okay once she calms down a little, she's had a busy morning." He stood, walking over to peer down at his fussing pet. "You'd better be nice, 'Antha. You know 'Mui isn't like that, he was just worried." He offered her his palm, smiling when she crawled grudgingly into it. "See? He's all better now, aren't you ashamed?"

The tiny animal huffed questioningly, sniffing in the man's general direction. Lavi returned to the bed, looking at her warningly before holding her out to the wary scientist. "Go on, 'Mui. She knows that I'm not kidding. I don't want you two having any hissy fits, so kiss and make up, all right?"

The older man held out his hand, expecting a growl, or even a quick nip. He was pleasantly surprised when the animal snuffed briefly at his fingers before scrambling into his hand with a plaintive squeak. He stroked her cheek carefully, delighted when she leaned into the contact. "Ahh, I'm sorry I yelled.." He said, lifting his hand to eye level. "I won't do it anymore, I promise." 'Antha regarded him calmly, her inky eyes bright with intelligence.

"She really does seem like she understands, doesn't she? What an astonishing thing.." He smiled at his companion, pleased with the swift reconciliation. "Better, Lavi? No more 'hissy fits'."

Lavi snorted, shaking his head. "Yeah, that's better.. I really don't need to try dodging two attempts at my life in one day." He watched the older man stroke his pet's stomach, grinning at the domesticity of the scene. "Aren't you just the cutest things.. Besides your sappiness, was the dream really that bad, 'Mui? You have been a little edgy lately.." The scientist forced a smile, shaking his head.

"Not really, it just made me wake up in a bad mood." He handed the animal back to his lover, leaning back against him. "I'll tell you if any reports come in, Lavi. It must be boring, not being able to get out of here after staying so busy before.." The younger boy nodded, sighing.

"It is, a little.. Mostly, I just worried about you, though. I didn't really get to see you, but when I did, you always looked so down.." He smiled, allowing his pet to make her way up his sleeve. "Silly girl.. Anyway, I'm glad you're not like that now, but I really wish you would have talked to me about it."

Komui nodded, his expression regretful. "I wish I had, too. I didn't know what to say, but I really should have tried to tell you." Glancing at the clock, he sighed. "I should probably get started on the paperwork, it's not going to do itself.." Lavi snickered at his put-upon manner.

"Right, like you really have much to do. You've got that office of yours pretty much covered, don't you? All that time moping accomplished something, anyway." Komui nudged him teasingly.

"Wasn't everyone complaining about the backlog? I see how you are, I go and do it and you guys give me grief.. What's a poor old man to do, slaving over things that nobody cares about anyway?"

Lavi pushed back, laughing. "Oh, whatever! There's nothing 'poor' or 'old' about you.. But we probably will give you a hard time, since you did all that so fast after putting it off for that long."

The scientist muttered quietly, rising to his feet. "Are you busy, later? If you are, I can wait until tomorrow.." Lavi shook his head, curious.

"Not really, but what would you wait for? Did you want to stop by or something, 'Mui?" The older man nodded slightly, smiling as he retrieved his shirt.

"If you don't mind. I really haven't seen too much of you lately, I'd like to start breaking that habit." Lavi snickered, pushing himself up to join him.

"Really? I thought by now you would have seen plenty."

Komui scowled down at him, pulling him close by an elbow. "I saw more than I probably should have. Besides that, I'd like to just be with you for a while.. I really have missed you, Lavi." He avoided the prickly lump near the boy's shoulder, enfolding him in a tight hug. "Would after dinner be all right with you? It can be later than that, if you'd rather.."

Lavi returned the gesture, sighing in contentment. "Anytime you want, 'Mui. If you get there earlier, that's more time to stay, hm?" He leaned up, kissing his jaw fondly. "I'm going to the library, since there's nothing else that needs doing.. Panda's been bitching about me 'slacking', it's starting to get old."

He pulled away regretfully, waiting for the older man to collect his coat and hat. "I'll be back in time, though.. Just drop in whenever you feel like it." He smiled brightly, walking to the door. "I'll even promise not to molest you.. Unless you ask me to." Komui snorted, closing the door behind them.

"Honesty is the best policy, Lavi. You'd probably consider showing up as asking!"

Lavi raised an eyebrow, grinning mischievously up at the older man. "Oh? Would you stand me up if I agreed with you? I'll believe that when I don't see you." Stealing a quick good-bye kiss, he laughed. "Work hard, Oh Great Supervisor. Your day might belong to those papers, but your evening is mine. Don't forget to scrap that contraption of yours, either!"

The scientist shook his head, watching the Exorcist saunter in the direction of the library. "That boy.." He muttered, smiling. Remembering the reason for their disagreement, he sighed. 'I can't believe that it frightened me so much,' He thought, heading toward his office. 'I've never gotten angry with him like that before.. It wasn't even his fault! He had every right to knock my lights out for that, I almost wish he had..'

Forcing away his darkening mood, he quickened his steps. Seeing the doorway to the science department ahead, he straightened, snorting in amusement as he noticed that his hastily chosen shirt was both inside out and backwards. "I really must be going senile.."

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Lavi hummed tunelessly as he perused the long row of books before him. Picking a few at random, he walked to a table, slumping into the highbacked chair with a sigh. 'Hm, maybe I should try napping before dinner.. '

Shrugging off his lethargy, he took the top book from his stack, glancing boredly at the cover. 'A Study Of The World Through Sleep? Why the hell did I even get this?' Setting it aside, he reached for the next one, stifling a yawn. 'Maybe 'Mui wouldn't mind a little downtime, too.. He looks like he hasn't been getting any rest.' He stretched briefly, wincing at the slight twinge in his muscles.

Recalling the reason for his aches, he smiled. 'He really is mine, now..' The thought made him almost giddy for a moment, pushing aside his lingering sleepiness in favor of more pleasant emotions. 'I wonder what made him change his mind like that, though.. I've been awful about it, the entire time we've been together!' He sighed, closing the book he had yet to so much as look at.

He laid his arms on the tabletop, resting his head atop them. 'I should take these back to my room.. I'm not going to get anything done just sitting here, I'm more likely to just fall asleep.' Closing his eye, he laughed. "The old man is right, I'm doing a lot of slacking off.. Not to mention talking to myself."

The library's quiet atmosphere did little to rouse him to action, and he found himself slipping to the edge of repose, dreaming almost before he knew that he slept..

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The first thing he noticed was the smell of the place, a tang of something metallic and decayed. Wrinkling his nose in distaste, he turned in a slow circle, taking in the limited view that the low lighting provided.

There seemed to be treelimbs overhead, their branches jagged and broken with rot. The ground below was littered with hunks of rotting vegetation, and unsavory-looking things crept sluggishly throughout.

"What the hell..?"

Hearing a faint sound, he whipped around, prepared for almost anything.

Except himself.

It was not the copy he'd encountered while trapped in the Noah girl's twisted reality, nor did it resemble any of his previous personas, save that the face and form were indeed his own. The thing before him smiled, it's benevolent expression only made worse by it's lack of a proper mouth.

'Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise,' It murmured, working it's way in a circle around him, leaning closer to peer at his disgusted face. 'But one is just as good as the other.'

Lavi stepped back, waving his hand at the putrid smell of the thing. "God, I must have been sleepier than I thought, if I'm seeing this kind of shit!" The being snorted quietly, ignoring the pieces of skin that dropped from it's left cheek as it waved a skeletal hand.

'You hurt my feelings, I think.. Well, you would, if I had them.' It paused in it's inspection, reaching forward to seize his lapels. 'You're going to kill him, did you know? You're going to take his life when you leave him, Bookman.'

Lavi jerked back, swiping futilely at the smear left behind by its fingers. "Don't call me that, it isn't me anymore. And how the hell would you know? As far as I can tell, you aren't God.."

The mockery of himself only laughed harder, shaking its misshapen head in mirth. 'I don't need to be God to know that. Do you know what's going to happen, Bookman? You're going to be exactly like I am, a shell that has no purpose, something to drive him mad.'

The Exorcist shook his head angrily, ignoring the figure's grin as he stepped close. "Like hell. I think I'm going to wake up now, you're starting to get on my nerves." He turned his back resolutely, walking toward the blackened horizon. The creature waved condescendingly, its hand as fleshless as its face.

'Have a good time, brother. Remember to tell your lover that you'll miss him, when you go. Don't worry about him too much, though. I'll be here to keep him company, until he goes to join you!'

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Lavi jumped in his seat, wincing at his numbed arms. Frowning at the pins and needles sensation, he shook them roughly to dispell the pain. "Stupid damn dream," He muttered, coming to his feet and collecting his unread books. Looking up at the clock, he snorted at the lateness of the hour, seeing that he'd almost missed having dinner. "Great. Now I'm late, and I feel like I slept in a barrel."

He strode from the silent room, allowing the door to swing closed behind him as he made his way to the cafeteria. Spotting his better-avoided 'friend', he chose a table far enough away to insure himself against the loss of needed body parts. Stacking his books carefully, he dropped his coat on the bench, smiling at the Finder who sat opposite. "You don't mind if I sit here, do you?"

The man smiled hesitantly in reply, shaking his head. "Anywhere you like, Exorcist-san." Lavi snorted at his formality, waving a tired hand.

"Don't be like that, huh? Call me Lavi, or idiot, or something. Either one works." The Finder gaped at him stupidly for a moment, astonished at his derogatory suggestion.

"I.. I can't do that! Who would call you an idiot?" Lavi snickered, smiling brightly.

"Pretty much everyone. Hold that thought, I'll be back in a minute, hey?" He walked to the ordering counter, asking for 'something spicy'. Jerry beamed at him encouragingly, returning with a plate of what seemed to be spaghetti. Thanking him quickly, he returned to his table, eyeing the food skeptically. "It looks all right.." He muttered, winding a fair-sized amount onto his fork. Looking at the still-reserved Finder, he grinned.

"You must be one of the new ones.. If you'd been here for a while, you'd know that people call me names all the time." He sniffed experimentally, shrugging at the harmless-appearing food. Taking a bite, he chewed thoughtfully, wondering why the eccentric cook had chosen the dish. Swallowing, he looked up at the wide-eyed man across from him. "Something on me?"

The Finder shook his head, pointing at the dish. "Exor...I mean, Lavi-san.. Did you ask for that to be.. spicy?"

The redhead nodded confusedly. "Yeah, I think he messed it up though, it's just..like..spaghetti.. Holy SHIT!" He quickly snatched up his water glass, choking and fanning his mouth. "Oh, God! What is this?!"

The man rose to his feet in alarm. "The noodles are made with powdered Jalepeno! He mixes the dough half and half. Here, I haven't drank any of this.." He handed the coughing boy his own drink, fidgeting nervously. "I know because I ordered that yesterday. It took hours to make it stop burning.. You only had a little though, I ate the whole thing before it hit me."

Lavi coughed, wiping his streaming eye with his napkin. "Well, fuck that. Thanks for the water, though." He laughed at the man's awkward smile. "You can't tell me that you don't think that's funny. I've been here way too long to have let him get me like that.. Oh, well.. What's your name?"

The Finder returned to his seat, allowing himself a quiet chuckle. "Jon Masters.. And it's only funny because it isn't me."

Lavi nodded in agreement. "I'd probably think it was funnier if I didn't feel like somebody decided to stick Hell in my mouth. Nice to meet you though, when did you start working here?" He took another drink of water, wincing at the lingering burn.

Jon grinned, shaking his head at the Exorcist's distaste. "About a month ago. A friend of mine used to work here, but I think he must have died. I haven't heard from him for almost a year." Lavi frowned sympathetically.

"Maybe, but they usually don't let Order members have to much to do with outsiders. He might be at one of the other branches by now though, have you been asking around?"

The man nodded. "I tried asking some of the other Finders, but nobody knew anything. We weren't all that close, really." He pointed at the other's weapon. "Mind if I ask what it does? Some of the things I've seen were pretty interesting, like the younger boy over there with the cursed arm.. And the nervous lady. It must be nice to have something like that, I wish I had a way to fight like you do."

Lavi pulled the hammer from it's sheath, holding it out. "It gets bigger when I ask it to. I can use it for elemental seals, too." Jon reached for the shrunken weapon, turning it around in his hands with a frown.

"I don't really get it, but maybe I'll get to see you use it sometime. The Supervisor said they'd start sending me out, pretty soon." He shuddered, handing the hammer back. "That guy gives me the creeps.. Something about him just feels off, like he watching a little too close, you know? Maybe he's just really.. friendly, I dunno. His sister's gorgeous, though."

Lavi smiled, ignoring the niggling sensation that things were about to get unpleasant. "Linali? Yeah, she's great.. What do you mean, off? Did he say something strange?" The man snorted, shaking his head.

"I can't understand half of what he says.. I'm sure he's nice and all, but sometimes I wonder if he might be into guys." He shuddered briefly, waving a hand. "The Church wouldn't let one of those stay here, would they? I mean, they wouldn't even have hired him, if he was queer."

Lavi sucked in a quick breath, but the man continued before he could form a reply. "Come to think of it, that boy with the sword seems a little feminine, if you know what I mean.. Keeps his hair like a woman." He gestured in the samurai's general direction, failing to notice the redhead's silent glare. "Don't they check for that kind of thing? I heard one of the other guys talking, and he said that the cursed one and that fellow are shacking up." He laughed, shaking his head.

"The little one seemed like a good kid though, so I guess it doesn't matter if he's taking it up the..!" Lavi shoved the bench away from the table, slamming his hands down hard enough to rattle the dishes.

"Don't say it. If you want to keep your bigoted head on, don't say a fucking word." He leaned down, aware of the startled glances from various directions. "That boy you're insulting is probably the best Exorcist we have, but you probably didn't know that. You also don't know that his boyfriend would kill you if he heard you." Holding the man's wide-eyed stare, he bent closer. "And as long as we're on the subject, my boyfriend wouldn't kill you, but I'm not as 'friendly' as he is."

The man shot to his feet hastily. "You mean.. You and that weirdo..? That's disgusting, he's twice your age! Is that what goes on here, just bullshit and faggotry? No wonder we're losing the war, you people are too busy buggering each other to save anything!"

Lavi dropped his hammer to the table, straightening in readiness. "If I were you, I'd think really hard about the next few words that come out of your mouth. And as a side note, he's eleven years older, not twenty. Learn to count, asshole."

Jon laughed harshly, waving his hand. "Like it matters. It's still just a dirty old man taking advantage of a stupid child." He eyed the redhead disdainfully, shaking his head. "That must be what was off about him.. I'm only a few years older than you are, so he was probably staring at my ass the entire..!"

The Exorcist lunged across the table, catching the larger man by his collar. Jerking him up and over, he ignored the surprised yells and breaking glass that accompanied his movements. He flung the man briskly to the floor, stepping back to avoid a kick aimed at his ankles. Allowing the Finder to rise, he wasted no time stepping forward, his fist halting the man's abusive tirade with a satisfying crack. "Keep on talking, smartass. There's plenty more where that came from."

The man wiped his mouth on a sleeve, spitting blood in blatant scorn. "I think you've made a mistake, candy-boy. I started boxing when I was about six years old.. I'd really hate to make you look bad in front of your lover over there."

Lavi snorted rudely, refusing to look away. "Those two are together, remember? I'm in love with 'that weirdo'." The older man nodded, laughing.

"Oh, I remember, believe me. Your oddball is over there gaping like a moron, but I guess that's nothing new, is it?" He pointed briefly, grinning at the other's wide eye. "Like I said, you're about to get embarrassed, so it's better if you just prance your little ass over there and get happy."

The Exorcist stiffened slightly, still refusing to turn. "No, I don't think that I'd better... And as far as being embarrassed, you're going to have it worse, getting your ass whipped by a faggot."

The older man shook his head, laughing. "Whatever you say, man. I guess we'd better get on with it, it looks like your pals are having a hard time keeping him over there." He swung viciously at the Exorcist's seemingly unprotected face, but his fist met only air. Lavi snorted, waving a hand.

"You'll have to be a lot faster than that.. I fight akuma, remember?" He risked a quick glance in the direction the man had indicated, wincing at the sight of his friends physically restraining his lover. "Great. Well, if that's how it is.." He stepped forward swiftly, dodging another attempt at his face. Catching the surprised Finder's arm, he jerked hard, sending the man sprawling with a well-placed kick to the backside.

"If you have any sense, you'll get up and head straight for the door."

Jon leapt to his feet, his face a dull red as he swore. "Like I'd run from some little queer. You might be fast, but I'd still beat you down if you were normal. Must be nice having Innocence to help you out."

The redhead laughed, shaking his head. "That has nothing to do with it. You really must be new, if you don't know that. Equipment type Innocence doesn't work that way, only parasitic, like Allen's." He avoided the man's next swing, sighing. "Really.. You're making me feel bad." The sound of his lover's voice grew louder, as he drug the two Exorcist's along with him in his approach. Lavi snorted quietly, imagining the irate man struggling to move despite the other's weight.

As much as I hate to do this, I don't have time to play with you anymore. Head to the infirmary when you wake up, all right?" He ignored the Finder's angry retort, stepping to the side faster than the man could easily follow, lashing out with one boot-clad foot. When the other made to avoid the kick, he swung, landing a hard right to his face even as he followed through with a left to the ribs. The older man staggered briefly, lunging at him persistently as he wheezed.

The Exorcist sighed, repeating the combination and adding a second right to the man's temple for good measure. The Finder blinked dazedly, shaking his head with a growl of fury. Shoving off the hands of a helpful onlooker, he charged the waiting boy with a yell.

Lavi stood patiently, shifting his weight as he neared. When the man drew within striking range, he reached out, catching his shirtfront tightly and jerking him forward. Slamming his bent knee into the other's midsection, he brought his elbow down sharply at the point where his spine met his skull, allowing him to slump to the floor. "I told you, I don't have time to play with bigots." He looked up, catching the wide eyes of another Finder. "Haul his ass to the Nurse, she'll fix him. And when he wakes up, make sure that he knows I could have killed him, Order member or not."

He turned to face his raging lover, sighing at the man's horrible expression. "Hey, um.. Wanna go talk..?" The scientist glanced between the overturned bench, the crumpled Finder, and his partner's hopeful face.

"That sounds fitting, Lavi." He said, finally. Turning on his heel, he caught the boy's arm firmly, pulling him through the assembled crowd toward the door. Grinning sheepishly at the concerned expression on his white-haired friend's face, he waved hopelessly.

When Komui judged them to be far enough from the room, he rounded on the other furiously, still holding tight to his arm. "What the hell was that? There's a room full of people in there, and close to twenty of them would stand up in a review and swear that they saw you put your hands on some random Finder having dinner! Have you lost your mind?"

Lavi winced at his painfully-clenched fingers, tugging briefly. "Let go, 'Mui." The older man shook his head, yanking him forward a step.

"Not until you explain to me exactly what happened there! I saw the whole thing from less than fifty feet away, and I don't have any idea what that was! He was talking, and you just jumped up and grabbed him! Even Kanda lets them get in the first hit, Lavi! What's wrong with you?"

The redhead pulled harder, struggling to keep calm in the face of his lover's ire. "Let go, 'Mui. You're hurting me." The older man released him abruptly, stepping back. Rubbing the sore area, Lavi sighed. "He was talking all right. That's the problem." Seeing the man open his mouth for another question, he frowned. "Don't worry about that. What you need to worry about right now is the fact that you dragged me out before I could get my hammer. I wouldn't put it past that guy, or one of his friends, for that matter.."

The older man cut him off with a snort. "Don't worry about it, he says.. Do you have any idea how bad this is going to be? An experienced Exorcist, attacking an innocent man over something he said? You'll be lucky if they don't take your damned hammer and confine you!"

Lavi stiffened as if he'd been slapped. "My damned hammer? You mean the damned hammer that I use to keep the fucking world safe? The one that you fixed after it broke in the Ark? Think hard, 'Mui. That thing is like a part of me. Not caring about it is just like not caring about me."

He glared up at the man's pale face. "Don't curse the thing that protects me, Komui. The next time it breaks, I might break with it. Then you can stand around damning anything you want." He stepped around the man's outstretched arm. "I'm going to my room." He said, avoiding the other's attempt to catch his shoulder with a jerk. "Don't. Touch. Me. This is the second time in one fucking day that you've put your hands on me without letting me say anything to defend myself. Try it again and I'll knock you flat, Mr. Supervisor."

Leaving the older man staring dumbly at his back, he strode purposefully toward his room, thankful that he'd left his pet in her box before going down for dinner. 'That would have been even worse, she probably would have bitten that asshole and caught some disease..'

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Komui stood rooted to the floor, watching his lover go. Shaken by his own reaction to the boy's fight, he sighed. Making his way back to the deserted cafeteria, he searched briefly around the now-uprighted bench until he spied the Exorcist's weapon, resting against the table leg out of sight. Picking it up, he inspected it carefully for damage before tucking it reverently into a pocket.

He returned to his room in silence, noting that the boy had also forgotten to take his discarded clothing with him that morning. Wincing at the memory of their exchange, he dropped the clothes into his own hamper before slumping tiredly onto the unmade bed, lying back with a quiet snort. "I just can't keep my mouth shut, can I?" He mused out loud, addressing the uncaring ceiling. Taking the small form of his lover's Innocence from it's place, he held it gently in his palm.

'I'll give him some time to cool off, and then I'll take it back and apologize..' He thought, turning onto his side. 'I just hope he'll talk to me, after that..' Closing his eyes, he ignored the unnerving quiet of the room, already missing the other's presence. 'There has to be more to it than just talk,' He sighed, tightening his grip on the handle of the hammer. 'He never does things like that, he's not the kind of person who just jumps someone over nothing..'

Rolling onto his stomach, he buried his face into the pillow with a groan of confused frustration. 'I have to fix this,' He thought, inhaling the scent of his absent lover. 'I can't just leave things like that, I need him..'

The lamp guttered out, leaving him alone in the darkness that so closely mirrored the darkness of his thoughts.

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And that's that! Stay tuned for the next chapter to follow soon(er!) after this! Thanks for reading, and as always, please review! Ja!