Warnings: YAOI, which means BOYS LOVING BOYS. If you dislike that, then the back button is easy enough to find. Please click that and leave. DRABBLES ARE ANYWHERE FROM K to M. You have been warned. Some drabbles are in the present and some are in the past. Some are in universe and some are not. There are LEMON and LIME flavored drabbles and there are RAPE drabbles and CHARACTER DEATH drabbles. You have been warned.

Disclaimer: I don't own these lovely characters, that honor belongs to Katsura Hoshino. (Though if Hoshino-sama ever has a sale, I call dibs on Tyki… what?) I don't own anything but a copy of the anime series and all volumes of the manga in English. Please don't sue

Kudos to the awesome SisterWicked of AssHat Productions (a group I am now a proud member of), who got me started on Lucky and lets me use 'lovely'! Beta'd by Misster Cackles! All remaining mistakes are mine.

50 Lovelier Lucky Drabbles

#01 - Motion

The motion of Tyki's hand as it cards through his hair is oddly soothing and it makes him sleepy. Lavi's eyes slowly close and he unconsciously leans a bit more firmly against the Noah, settling in for something of a nap against the warm body so close to him.

Feeling the sudden increase in weight against his side, Tyki glances down at the redhead now sleeping while using him as both a prop and a pillow. The Pleasure can't help but smile and gently untangles his fingers from the red locks he secretly loves so much. He's careful not to wake the younger man as he slowly leans back and lets the Exorcist's head slip from his shoulder to his lap. The young man stirs but does not wake, shifting to get comfortable in his new position before settling back down.

Gentle smile still in place, Tyki's hand once more begins to comb through the younger man's hair.

#02 - Cool

Lavi yelped and jumped out of his chair as something cold and wet slid down the back of his T-shirt along the line of his spine. He spun furiously, shirt un-tucked and ice falling off his back as he glared at the laughing Portuguese man who had obviously been the culprit.

"What the hell was that for, Tyki?" he demanded, stomping forward to grab the taller, darker man by the front of his shirt. Tyki just chuckled.

"You make such cute noises when I surprise you," he said casually, snaking his arms around the redhead's waist and pulling him close. Lavi yelped again, mentally cursing himself for forgetting the brunet's penchant for grabbing him whenever possible.

"Tyki, what do you think yo-"

"Embracing you," the man replied cheerfully, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. His benign smile melted into a much more heated look, one of his hands sliding down to cup the redhead's ass through the material of his swimming trunks. "I could do much more than that, if you'd like. What would you say-" At this, the brunet leaned close to whisper in Lavi's ear. "- if I told you I wanted to take an ice cube in my mouth and cover your skin with it, every heated inch? It's supposed to feel good-"

The redhead shivered, mental images of Tyki's mouth - with or without an ice cube - tasting his skin everywhere and for a moment he was sorely tempted. With the ice, he was certain his skin would be ten times more sensitive, the juxtaposition of cold ice and hot flesh-

He shook himself, putting his hands on the older man's chest.

"I'd say that that's the worst pick up line I've ever heard," the redhead said, voice almost sweet, and shoved.

#03 - Young

"How old are you, anyway?" Tyki asked the young man who had just sat down at the bar despite the fact that it was almost last call. He leaned over, extending his hand. "If you look under thirty, I have to check ID."

The redhead shrugged as though he didn't care, but Tyki could see the young man's shoulders tense almost imperceptibly. Slowly, the redhead reached into his pocket and took out his wallet, grabbing a thin piece of plastic from one of the cardholders inside the plain black leather object. He held the ID out to Tyki. The older man took it, already fairly certain what he would find.

It was a good fake, one most bartenders would have been fooled by. Tyki had seen more than his share of fakes in his time, especially since he used to buy them when he himself was underage.

He smirked, leaning on the counter once more handing it back to the redhead after taking note of the name. He allowed his eyes to sweep the younger man's form as the boy took the card, noting the hint of muscle. The redhead's face was quite attractive too, from his emerald colored eye to his perfectly formed, kissable lips.

"So, Lavi, care to tell me how old you really are?" he asked, eyes doing a quick sweep of the bar. Only regulars were still in here at this time of night and there were only two who were diehard enough to stay until last call. Both were over in their own separate corners, too drunk and too far removed to care what the bartender said. "Your card is good, but not quite good enough."

Lavi shrugged, the motion a bit lighter and more carefree than the last. There was a gleam of mischief in his eye, as if alcohol wasn't the real reason he had entered the bar.

"I don't suppose telling you that lots of other people have been fooled by my card is good enough to get me a drink here?" the redhead asked, a cheeky grin stealing over his lips. Tyki chuckled.

"I have no doubt it's good enough to fool others, but it can't fool me. I've seen too many fakes." The bartender sized up the younger man. "How old are you? Sixteen? Seventeen?"

"Why?" Lavi replied, a bit of mirth visible in his uncovered green eye. "Does jailbait turn you on?" At Tyki's stunned look, the redhead laughed. "I saw you watching me."

The older man composed himself quickly, straightening up with a sigh.

"I was only curious. Don't read so much into it," he claimed, wishing vaguely for a cigarette. Lavi chuckled.

"I'm eighteen. Am I still reading too much into it?" the redhead asked with false innocence. Tyki paused at that, a smirk slowly spreading over his lips.

"No."

#04 - Last

Bookman was old and his eyes were aging with the rest of his body, but he could still see well enough to notice the brilliant smile his apprentice wore whenever the Noah came to the Order's library for a book. Oftentimes, the Noah would visit once or twice a day, just to talk.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on between the redhead and the brunet and Bookman's IQ was well above genius level. It was in the job description, after all.

The old man sighed and slipped away from the doorway he had been watching Lavi and Tyki from. He had never thought that he would be the last of the Bookmen, but it seemed his apprentice had found something much more fulfilling than old, musty books on history and chasing major events as they happened.

Bookman supposed he couldn't begrudge the child he had come to see as his own the happiness he had found, even if this meant that the line of the Bookmen ended with him.

#05 - Wrong

"This is wrong," the Exorcist whispered quietly. He made no move to escape from Tyki's hold, didn't struggle even though he was pressed rather firmly against the brick wall of the alley. The Noah held him almost gently, one hand grasping both of the redhead's wrists and holding them above the younger man's head while the Pleasure's other hand softly touched Lavi's cheek. His body was flush against the younger man's, firm and unyielding but not threatening.

"Wrong, you say?" Tyki asked him just as quietly, caressing the cheek under his gloved hand. Lavi trembled, drawing in a quiet breath. Slowly, the redhead nodded.

"Yes," he said, though the word was shaky and there seemed to be a sort of desperation and desire in his voice Tyki wanted so badly to name but didn't want to fool himself.

"'Yes' what, Exorcist?" he asked, leaning forward so that the redhead would be able to feel the puffs of air hit his lips as Tyki spoke. "You don't seem so certain."

There was a quiet whine and then the Noah felt a soft, needy pressure against his lips. Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, the Pleasure parted his lips and asked for entrance into the Exorcist's mouth with his tongue. It was granted, Lavi's soft lips parting with barely a moment of hesitation.

The kiss was sweet and gentle, a slow burn of want and lust and other emotions neither was willing to name so early on. The heat in their bodies built, not dying away as they broke apart. Lavi breathed heavily, shrinking back against the wall as he turned away from the Noah.

"This is wrong," he insisted in a whisper. Tyki's hands slid down to wrap around the younger man in an embrace.

"Does this feel right?" he asked. He could feel the redhead tense in his hold and he tightened his grip. "I didn't ask if it is right, only how it feels."

There was a long, pregnant pause. Slowly, the Noah felt Lavi nod against his chest.

"Then it is right."

#06 - Gentle

There are a lot of things Lavi likes about waking up next to Tyki, but the quietly possessive arm around his waist and the gentle movement of air through his hair are probably his two favorite things.

#07 - One

"This is your last warning, Exorcist," Tyki said, withdrawing his hand from the redhead's chest. "Be grateful I'm not in the mood to kill tonight."

The younger man stood paralyzed in shock as Tyki moved to leave, but then acted swiftly when the Noah had fully turned around. The Pleasure could feel the sharp point of the redhead's weapon dig into his unprotected back. He stopped, but the keen edge didn't cut.

"What is it, boy?" Tyki asked. The Exorcist growled in frustration.

"What's with the 'last warning', Noah?" he demanded. "The last time we fought, that was my 'last warning' too, and the time before that and even before that! How long are you going to keep playing around with me? How many more warnings do I get before you're sick of this?"

Tyki smirked, the expression unseen by the redhead.

"At least one more."

#08 - Thousand

"Ah, Tyki-!"

The Noah just moaned Lavi's name in response, driving into the willing body beneath him. The sound of the Exorcist's breathing was loud in his ear and he could feel the younger man's nails scratch harshly down his back. As Lavi's cries became louder and the pleasure in the older man's body built to a fever pitch, Tyki knew that even if he and Lavi lived a thousand years together, he would never get tired of hearing the redhead's needy moans or feeling the sensation of the younger man's body wrapped around him.

#09 - King

King Tyki sat on his throne, watching and trying to keep the boredom from his face as gift after gift was presented to him. Most were fine art pieces or gold and jewels. More rarely, the gifts were people, 'servants' for his palace. Some were menservants to take care of his horses and such tasks while some were women. The gifts of prettier females were always for his harem while the more homely ones were to clean the palace and his clothes and such.

Despite the many gifts of concubines, he had yet to see one up to his standards.

He nodded politely as two of his servants removed an impressive marble statue of a naked half-woman, half-fish creature. Tyki sighed, lazily waving his hand for the next gift giver to enter the audience chamber. Through the open double doors came a pair of men. One was a short old man with heavy eye makeup and dressed in rich clothing. A redheaded young man in threadbare, mildly dirty clothing walked slightly behind the old man, looking down at the floor. The king leaned forward, intrigued by the vivid color of the boy's hair.

The pair stopped a respectful distance from the throne, the old man bowing low while his young companion - likely the gift in this situation - barely nodded his head. Tyki's interest grew.

"My king," the old man said, straightening up from his bow. "I have brought you a servant for your library. The boy is good with..."

Tyki tuned him out, staring intently at the boy whose face he had yet to see.

"Boy," he said, interrupting the older male as he extolled the redhead's skills. "Look at me."

The younger man tensed, probably in anger, then slowly lifted his gaze from the floor. Even though he was several feet away, Tyki could see anger and defiance burn in the single emerald eye visible through the redhead's bangs. He had not been broken despite the fact that he was little more than a slave, a token of respect given to the king.

Tyki smirked.

"My library has no need of a servant, but we still have a place for you." He turned to his servants - who had just returned from moving the marble statue - and added, "Set him up with the other concubines."

As the boy was led away, Tyki missed the sudden softening of the boy's features and the satisfied, confident look he shared with the old man. The king was too busy imagining possibilities for the upcoming night.

#10 - Learn

"You've never been to school?" Lavi asked incredulously, attention torn away from the book he had been reading by his lover's unexpected admission. Tyki shrugged, apparently unbothered.

"When I was younger and merely human, we didn't have the money for an education. By the time I became a Noah and had the money, I was too old and there didn't seem to be any point."

The redhead frowned, thinking.

"If you want," he said hesitantly, causing the Noah to arch an eyebrow in askance. "I could teach you a bit about writing and reading and whatever else you think might be interesting."

Tyki stared at him in surprise. The shock quickly melted into a seductive smirk. The Noah sauntered forward and pinned Lavi to the chair, placing his hands on either side of the Exorcist's head and putting one knee in between the redhead's leg and the arm of the chair for balance. Lavi stared up at the older man, heart beginning to beat faster inside his chest.

"What is my incentive?" the Pleasure asked playfully.

"I-Incentive?" the redhead asked breathlessly.

"If I get a question right, do I get a kiss?" Tyki leaned closer, lips almost brushing those of his lover as he spoke. "And if I do really well with my lessons..."

Lavi's breathing hitched, stopping completely for a moment as a hand slid over his shoulder and his chest, sliding over his side and slipping in between his lower back and the chair to come to a rest on his ass.

"- do I get something a bit more... interesting?"

The redhead nodded quickly, blushing slightly as the hand on his bottom squeezed to punctuate the older man's question.

"Sure. Whatever," he agreed quickly. Tyki chuckled, pressing their lips together.

"Then be sure to teach me well, mestre. (1)"

#11 - Blur

The Black Order sees a lot in black and white while for a Bookman, black and white blurs to color everything in different shades of gray. Lately, though, the Noah of Pleasure has started to change that and Lavi can't understand how a man whose skin is gray and who dresses in black and white can make the monochrome world the redhead sees so colorful.

#12 - Wait

Lavi had been waiting most of his life to find 'that special someone' to be with and give his innocence to, but he had never found that person. The guys in college had teased him mercilessly about never being laid and laughed when he told them that he was waiting. The redhead hadn't cared and had never been able to explain what exactly it was he was waiting for, but he thinks he has finally found it in a pair of eyes the color of molten gold that watch him from across the crowded club.

#13 - Change

Lavi stared, blinked, then stared some more. Never in all his many months as a waiter had anyone paid for a bill of just over $100 in cash, let alone a $100 and a $50. He glanced back at the customer, feeling briefly jealous that the man apparently had wealth to match his good looks. The redhead had noticed the brunet the moment the (older?) man had walked into the cafe, even among the six people who had walked in with him. The brunet with wavy hair and a beauty mark under one eye, the one who had just handed him so much money, had definitely stood out.

Lavi smiled at the man, wishing it wasn't against policy to ask for phone numbers.

"Thank you, sir. I'll be right back with your change-"

"Keep the change," the man interrupted as he stood up, the rest of his dining companions following suit. The sexy brunet smirked at Lavi. "I hope my tip is generous enough, little rabbit."

The redhead opened his mouth to question the nickname, but the man was already turning to leave. Confused and a bit regretful at not having gotten the man's name at least, Lavi turned to go get the change - his tip, he corrected himself - from the register. As he put the $50 in its rightful place, he noticed what looked like pen markings on one side. Frowning, he picked it up again and took a closer look. As he recognized the markings for what they were, a grin broke out on his face. He quickly pocketed the $50 bill, taking out a $5 from an earlier tip and putting it into the register. The five was enough to cover the rest of the customer's bill and Lavi didn't want to give up the $50.

Not until he had copied down the name and phone number written on it, at least.

Tyki Mikk had been very generous indeed.

#14 - Command

Tyki had never enjoyed taking commands from anyone, not even the Earl (though he had realized the necessity of following the man's orders). However, the Noah jumps to obey the needy, breathless pleas Lavi whispers to him late at night. The redhead makes such delicious sounds when his 'commands' are followed that Tyki doesn't really mind following the Exorcist's 'orders'.

#15 - Hold (2)

Lavi struggled and twisted in the possessed Noah's hold, trying frantically to free himself from the vine-like appendages keeping him steady while something pressed against him and began slowly shoving in. The redhead cried out in denial and horror, increasing his efforts to get away as the man moved deeper inside of his body. With an animalistic growl, the Noah bit hard enough to draw blood on the junction of the Exorcist's neck and shoulder, lapping at the coppery liquid as it bled forth.

The Noah made a pleased hum at the taste and thrust roughly forward, fully sheathing himself inside before drawing back out and repeating the process, pounding into the trapped redhead hard and fast without a care for Lavi's pained cries and shouts of denial.

As pain and unwanted pleasure began to overwhelm the Exorcist's senses, his struggles weakened and his shoulders shook with dry sobs, his pride too much to let him cry as he was violated and penetrated by one of his worst enemies.

There was no escaping this.

#16 - Need

"I needed this," Tyki said lustfully, pressing his lips to Lavi's with a quiet sigh of satisfaction. After an intense moment, they broke apart as he continued, speaking softly against the redhead's mouth. "I don't know what that man was thinking, keeping you away from me for a month..."

The Exorcist chuckled.

"It's not really a 'need'," he teased lightly, fingers moving to the buttons of his lover's shirt. "A 'need' is something you can't live without. You just want this."

Tyki made a noise of acknowledgement, neither agreeing nor disagreeing as his hands wandered under the material of Lavi's shirt.

"Then let me rephrase that, lovely," he said, leaning in for another kiss. "I need you."

#17 - Vision

Lavi grumbled, arms folded across his chest as he stared at the wall of the waiting room. He knew a visit to the optometrist was necessary if he wanted to go through with the surgery to fix his eye, but he had never liked visiting the psycho in glasses and a white duster and now he had a new doctor who was supposed to be looking at his eye to see if it could be fixed.

At the call of his name, he automatically stood up and headed for the check-up room. As he approached, the previous patient - a short boy with the hair of a grandfather - came out. Lavi nodded at the boy in thanks as the short boy held open the door for him. Lavi heard the door click behind him after he stepped inside and began to look around.

The walls were the usual sterile white, decorated only with detailed pictures of eyes and their layers and the usual chart with smaller and smaller rows of letters. The standard cushion covered operating table with a huge sheet of thin white paper took up most of the floor and Lavi could see the desk pressed up against the wall with an abandoned file lying on top of it.

He didn't see the doctor anywhere, but there did seem to be a door that lead to another room - probably a bathroom, Lavi realized, hearing the sound of rushing water. The sound stopped moments later and the door opened seconds later to reveal a man in a long white coat. The man was drying his hands on a small towel and Lavi could feel his jaw drop open as he studied the as-of-yet-oblivious man.

The doctor - that had to be who he was - had light olive skin and a sexy, just-rolled-out-of-bed wave in his dark hair. His eyes were slanted and dark, an almost gold colored brown, and a beauty mark rested just beneath his left eye. As the redhead stood there gawking, the doctor noticed him and smirked, obviously noting his stare.

"Hello, Mr. Bookman. I am Doctor Mikk - I'll be your optometrist from now on."

Slightly dazed, Lavi could only nod. Perhaps visiting the eye doctor wouldn't be so bad anymore...

#18 - Attention

All Tyki has to do to command the attention of everyone with a sex drive in a one mile radius is exist; Lavi can't help but be a bit smug that, in turn, all he has to do to get Tyki's attention is wiggle his hips or lick his lips provocatively.

#19 - Soul

"Do you believe in souls, lovely?" the demon asked, not moving from the center of the pentagram. Lavi shook his head, staring up at the demon and stunned that the spells in his grandfather's occult books actually worked.

"There's no proof that souls exist," he said, happy his voice only shook a little. The creature before him seemed to have the shape of a man, one with long, wavy, dark hair, a strange headpiece that covered his eyes, sharp teeth, and wings made out of strange vines with centipede legs. The demon's skin was dark, dark gray and his tongue seemed to be twice the length of a normal human's and as pointed as a snake's. Lavi was beginning to regret summoning it on a lark and ignoring the warnings his grandfather had given him.

The creature smirked, spreading its arms.

"Oh? But there is no proof that I exist either and yet here I stand."

Lavi bit his lip but didn't look away. He had no clue if that thing could break out of the summoning circle.

"And that's what you want from me? My soul?"

Without hesitation, the demon nodded.

"A lord of hell can hardly go home empty handed after being summoned, though if you like we can make a proper contract. What is it you desire?"

"Contract?"

The demon nodded, smirking. Lavi slowly backed up, hands groping behind him for the jar of holy salt that could supposedly end the summoning. His hands hit something round and cool to the touch - he had found it. As he began to slip his hands into the jar, he spoke to distract the demon from the noise.

"My greatest desire," he said, lifting a handful of salt. "-is to live to a ripe old age and die of natural causes. Goodbye!"

The creature seemed surprised for a brief instant, then started forward as Lavi hurled the salt towards the summoning circle. It hit the demon full in the chest and it roared in fury, flames erupting from the summoning circle where the holy salt hit the floor of the attic. The demon vanished, leaving behind only the smell of sulfur and ozone and a blackened circle on the floor.

With a shaky sigh of relief, Lavi turned away from the slightly smoking mark and mentally promised himself to never mess around with his grandfather's books again. As he moved towards the attic steps, a voice that chilled him to the bone whispered in his ear.

"Poor choice, lovely."

#20 - Picture

The children never ask their 'Uncle Lavi' who the man in the picture in the shrine is. Their mother taught them early on what a black frame and black ribbon on a shelf with incense burners meant and none of the children wanted to hurt their honorary uncle by asking who the smiling man with a beauty mark had been or why their uncle still burned incense for him every day.

#21 - Fool

"You're a fool, Tyki," Road said coldly, staring at him from across the deserted alleyway. "Abandoning your family for an Exorcist? The Earl will never forgive you!"

Tyki regarded his niece with something like resignation in his eyes, slowly turning away from her.

"A fool, am I?" he asked quietly, more to himself than to her. The Pleasure was fairly certain the Dreams couldn't hear him over her tirade. He tuned her out, putting one hand to the brim of his top hat and smirking ironically. "If that makes me a fool, then I'd be more than happy to trade this hat for a floppy jester's cap with bells and all those other foolish decorations."

#22 - Mad

"Are you mad?" Allen demanded. He had never been more tempted to shake Lavi than he was right now, but he had never been more certain that the redhead had a few screws loose. "You want to follow a Noah to some undisclosed location while leaving your Innocence here with me for safekeeping?! Just because he asked?!"

Lavi nodded, holding out his miniature hammer for the white haired boy to take.

"Yup, exactly."

Allen shook his head.

"No way - you need back up, you can't take on a Noah by yourself-"

"We won't be fighting." Lavi interrupted, insistently shoving his hammer at the British boy.

"How do you know? What if he's planning on hurting you?" Allen demanded. Lavi reddened slightly and glanced away and then looked back with a slightly too-wide grin on his face.

"He won't hurt me. Well, not unless I ask him to."

The white haired boy's jaw dropped open, hand numbly accepting the hammer as his red-haired friend gave it to him and then spun around to follow the Noah of Pleasure down the crowded street.

#23 - Child

"Are you sure you want... me?" Lavi asked hesitantly, hardly daring to believe his eye as his lover of four years held out a small velvet box with a shining ring tucked inside. Tyki smiled up at him from his kneeling position.

"Of course, lovely. Why else would I ask you to be mine?"

Lavi reddened slightly and glanced down. Slowly, he put a hand low on his body, where his womb would be if he had been born female.

"You've... always wanted kids," he said softly, free hand clenching into a fist at his side. He refused to look at his lover's face. "I can't give you that, you know I-"

He was cut off when Tyki suddenly stood and pulled him into a breath-stealing, possessive kiss. The redhead struggled briefly against the hold then melted against the older man with a quiet sigh. The kiss broke gently moments later.

"If I want children, then we can adopt. Now will you answer?" Tyki asked softly.

Lavi wrapped his arms around his lover, nodding into the older man's shoulder.

"Yes."

#24 - Now

The past is too lonely and the future too fraught with danger for Lavi to be comfortable with thinking too much about either. He keeps his thoughts on the 'now' where he can still laugh with Allen, flirt harmlessly with Lenalee, tease Yuu, and where Tyki is kissing him gently, tenderly, as the Noah slowly guides him to the bed of their hotel room.

#25 - Shadow

Lavi kept an eye on the shadows lining the deserted street, the darkness heavy and nearly impenetrable at the edges of the streetlamps. The hairs on the back of his neck were prickling unpleasantly, as if he was being watched. He looked backwards over his shoulder, mentally cursing being half blind. Not seeing anything following him, he turned forwards again just in time to run into something warm and soft.

He froze, inhaling a scent that was sickeningly familiar as his face was pressed to a firm chest covered in a thin silk shirt. The Exorcist immediately tried to push away from the man, but two strong arms wrapped around him in a binding hold. Lavi struggled futilely against the 'embrace', fear and adrenaline taking the place of blood in his veins.

"Hello, lovely," the Noah of Pleasure said in his ear, nipping at the lobe. "Happy to see me, little rabbit?"

"You bastard!" Lavi growled, voice shaking as he tried desperately to push the older man away. "Let go of me!"

Memories played behind his eyes, images of a night so similar to this one where he had been defeated, disarmed, cornered and helpless in an alley, and then-

The Noah chuckled, the sound eerily reminiscent of how the older man had laughed at him that first night.

"I don't think I will. Do you remember the night I first tasted you? Do you remember how you screamed for me then?" The questions were punctuated with a slow grind of the brunet's hips against Lavi's. The redhead cried out in hoarse denial, thrashing as he tried to get away. He had fought so hard to keep from crying out that night, not wanting to give the bastard (whose hands were now slipping under his shirt, oh God) the satisfaction, but his vocal cords had been scraped raw by the dawn anyway.

He fought and punched and tried to hit, but his Innocence was in Hevlaska's care for repairs and he was on 'vacation'. The Pleasure just laughed as the redhead's attacks passed uselessly through him, leaning forward to claim the younger man's lips as his hands slid down to grab the Exorcist's ass and pull him flush against the Noah's body. Lavi gasped into the older man's mouth, horrified at the hardness he could feel pressing against him intimately. The Noah broke the kiss but didn't move away, biting harshly at Lavi's earlobe as the redhead frantically tried to find purchase to push him away.

"Scream for me again, Lavi."

#26 - Goodbye

"Don't come to find me again. We're enemies the next time I see you," Lavi said coldly, not sure whether to despise or be grateful for the training that allowed him to keep his face fixed in a stony, disinterested expression. Tyki stared at him, shock widening his golden eyes for an instant before they narrowed again and the Noah turned away from the redhead.

"I should have known," the brunet said, tone a failed attempt at casual nonchalance. "An Exorcist and a Noah were never-"

Lavi laughed loudly without even a trace of humor.

"'An Exorcist and a Noah'? Don't make me laugh. That has nothing to do with this," Lavi took a deep breath, turning away from the other man. "I'm just sick of this. That's all."

He could hear the Noah turn around again and quiet footsteps approach him. He tensed.

"Lov-"

"Don't!" Lavi hissed, hands clenching his elbows almost painfully. "Don't call me that. Just get out of here."

There was a pause, then a sigh and soft footsteps walking slowly away and abruptly fading as his lover walked through the wall rather than use the door.

Lavi let his hands drop to his sides, shoulders shaking with a mixture of rage and pain.

"Are you happy now, you damn Panda?" he whispered to the empty room.

#27 - Hide

Lavi struggled to keep his breathing quiet as he hunched down behind a box inside an abandoned warehouse. He could hear footsteps approaching his hiding place, the sound of heeled loafers echoing off the walls of the large room. The redhead held his breath, taking a firmer grip on the handle of his hammer as the other person - his opponent, the Noah of Pleasure - came closer and closer...

The sound of footsteps stopped not five feet from where he was hidden.

"Come out, come out, little rabbit," the Noah said softly, his voice echoing inside the warehouse. Lavi could hear the quiet flapping of the wings of the many Tease the Pleasure had with him and held perfectly still, heart pounding in his ears.

"The Big Bad Wolf wants to play," the older man continued. The words would have been comical if Lavi had been anywhere else. He took a deep, shuddering breath, careful to keep silent as he prayed that the Noah wouldn't find him.

#28 - Fortune

"If you could have any treasure in the world, what would it be?" Lavi asked curiously, lying on his back and staring up at the slowly moving clouds overhead. His lover sat on the grass next to him and had been watching the clouds as well, but at Lavi's question he turned towards the redhead.

"Treasure, lovely?" he asked. Lavi nodded lazily.

"Yeah. Treasure. If you could have anything in the world, what would it be?"

Tyki considered for a moment, looking back up at the clouds. The wind brushed through the grass, the gentle breeze creating the only noise in the small meadow. After several moments, Tyki shrugged.

"I can't think of anything. I already have everything I need." A hand briefly touched Lavi's hair, stroking it gently before it was gone.

The younger man closed his eyes, a soft, contented smile stealing over his face.

#29 - Safe

The hands touching him had killed Exorcists before. The fingers trailing so gently over his chest, the fingers that drew lines of fire that made his lust burn hotter and his longing sharper had wrapped around the hearts of other people and ripped the muscle, still beating, from its owner's chest. Lavi couldn't bring himself to care as those deadly hands slid to his hips and helped position him while his lover shifted above his body. As the Noah thrust in and slid his arms around the redhead to embrace him, Lavi couldn't help but feel safe inside Tyki's hold.

#30 - Ghost

Sometimes, late at night, Lavi thinks he can still feel a pair of hands caressing him or an arm wrapped securely around his waist while a firm chest presses against his back. Then, of course, he wakes up to find his bed empty and cold, only a void where there had once been a beloved person. He always ends up lying awake for the rest of the night, staring at the walls and praying for the day when the ghosts of what used to be would stop haunting him.

#31 - Book

Lavi glared at the book on the top shelf of the bookcase. Though he was reasonably tall, he couldn't reach it even when he stretched and the damn stepladder had been broken just that morning. He growled in frustration, jumping half-heartedly to try and reach the thin volume. His fingertip brushed the spine and, encouraged, he put one hand on a lower shelf and jumped with more enthusiasm, pushing himself up in an attempt to grab the book. His hand brushed it a bit more firmly, but he still couldn't quite reach. He tried again, letting out a surprised yelp as his foot twisted under him upon landing and he began to fall backwards. He shut his eyes, waiting and bracing himself for the inevitable impact.

His eyes opened again moments later and he let out a startled 'oomph' as the impact came a lot sooner and a lot softer than he had expected. Two hands came up to steady him, resting firmly on his hips. When Lavi had his balance again, the redhead turned to look at the man who had stopped his fall. He opened his mouth to say 'thanks', but the word caught in his throat as he saw a flash of dark, wavy hair and a wide, seductive smirk.

"T-Tyki?" he stammered, turning around completely and backing into the bookcase. "What are you doing here?"

The older student smirked, moving closer. Lavi gulped, attempting to back up even further and feeling the hard edges of the shelves dig into his back. Tyki kept advancing until every breath Lavi took pressed his chest more firmly against the brunet. The redhead could smell the light, masculine scent of the older student and he averted his face, looking to the side and trying to ignore the firm warmth of Tyki's body pressed against him.

"I noticed that you were having problems getting a book down, Lavi," the older teen said smoothly. The brunet's breath tickled the younger student's ear as he continued. "Would you like help?"

Lavi shook his head mutely, trying not to inhale too deeply and take in more of the older student's scent and resisting the urge to press himself even closer to the sexy Portuguese teen. Tyki chuckled and the sound reverberated through Lavi's chest.

"Are you sure?" Tyki asked teasingly. He shifted just slightly in a move that could have been accidental but rubbed just right against the younger man's groin. The redhead gasped quietly, hands clenching into fists and nails digging into palms as he resisted his body's urge to thrust against the leg pressing against him intimately.

After a moment, the pressure dropped off and Lavi let himself breathe normally. Tyki pulled back slightly, moving a book into the redhead's line of sight. Lavi blinked at it, confused.

"Is this what you were trying to grab?" Tyki asked. Numbly, Lavi nodded. He automatically accepted the book from the older student when it was presented to him, looking up into the brunet's eyes.

"Thanks," he said quickly, glad when his voice didn't come out shaky or high-pitched. Tyki smirked and the redhead almost melted.

"No problem, little rabbit." The brunet leaned forward, leaning until their noses touched and all the while staring deeply into Lavi's eyes. "If you need help again..."

The older teen's breath moved softly over Lavi's face. The redhead could taste spearmint in the air when he breathed in.

"-then just ask. I'll be more than happy to help." With that, the brunet pulled away completely and began to walk away as if nothing had happened. Lavi stood, frozen in place as he watched the Portuguese teen disappear around another bookshelf. Face red, he turned and began walking away, book clenched in his hands.

#32 - Eye

Tyki slid his hands through the redhead's hair, playing idly with the string that held his boyfriend's eyepatch on. He kept his touches casual, distracting Lavi with a passionate, open-mouthed kiss while his hand purposefully tugged at the knot keeping the damn piece of cloth over the younger teen's eye.

Instantly, as Lavi had done every other time the eyepatch had been threatened, the redhead broke the kiss and shoved away. The younger teen couldn't go very far since Tyki's body was pressing him down into the worn leather couch in the basement of the older teen's home, but the redhead could shove against Tyki's shoulders and push him away. The brunet sighed, propping himself up with his hands so his weight wasn't resting entirely on the redhead's thin arms.

"What's wrong?" he asked, pretending to be concerned and confused even though he knew damn well why Lavi had shoved him away and he was getting sick of being pushed away every time he tried to slip the eyepatch off. The redhead looked away, brow furrowing as some sort of internal dispute took place inside Lavi's head.

"Just... don't touch that, okay? I always ask you to leave it alone, but whenever you think I'm good and distracted-"

Tyki sighed, pressing his forehead to the younger teen's.

"If you really want me to leave it alone, then I will. I just want to see it." He pressed his lips to Lavi's, sighing again more softly when the redhead didn't respond. "What can be so terrible that you won't let me see?"

Lavi shook his head rapidly, pushing away harder. Taking the hint, Tyki sat up and moved off of the redhead's body, allowing the younger teen to sit up and move to one side of the couch. Lavi combed his fingers through his hair nervously, sliding his bangs to cover the black patch of cloth more firmly. Tyki looked away, leaning his cheek into one of his palms and propping his elbow on his knee. He studied his boyfriend, a bit irritated that the mood had been ruined.

"Do you want me to drive you home now?" he asked, careful to keep the sourness out of his voice. He really did love the redhead, even if the younger male frustrated him at times. He knew the other was sensitive about the covered eye, but... was it honestly too much to ask to just see the redhead's face completely free of covering for once?

Tyki watched Lavi absently, expecting a nod. He straightened up when the younger man shook his head. Slowly, Lavi raised his hands to the back of his head, fumbling with the knot to his eyepatch.

"Lavi-" Tyki said, frozen in surprise as he watched the knot come loose under the redhead's trembling fingers. The younger man leaned forward, bangs covering his eyes. The eyepatch was clenched in one pale hand.

"You want to see it, right?" he asked quietly. Tyki nodded slowly, eyes still wide. He could see Lavi swallow thickly.

"Just don't blame me if you don't like what you see," the redhead said in a near whisper. He took a deep breath and turned to face his boyfriend, one hand coming up to sweep aside his bangs so Tyki could clearly see the skin that had previously been hidden from his sight.

He stared, face blank and nonjudgmental as he took in the dark scars surrounding the empty socket. The eyelid was still present in places, but it seemed like most of it had been cut off with surgical precision. There wasn't even enough skin left to hold a false eye in place of a true eyeball, leaving just the dark, if healed, cavern in Lavi's face.

The redhead held still, hand still keeping his hair from covering the sight. He shook slightly, watching Tyki's face for any hint of disgust. The redhead was like a rabbit before a wolf, terrified and unsure where it would be the safest to bolt.

Slowly, cautiously and trying not to scare the younger teen, Tyki moved closer and lifted his hand to gently run a finger along one of the scars. He carefully avoided the socket, not sure whether or not touching it would cause the younger teen any pain.

"How did it happen?" he asked, reaching with his other hand to pull the redhead closer. A small, grateful smile broke out over Lavi's face and he swung his legs over Tyki's thighs to straddle him, dropping his hair and linking his hands together behind the older teen's neck.

"When I was younger, my parents died in a car accident. I don't remember much of them, but I apparently lost my eye then too. My grandfather tells me that the doctors did what they could, but parts had to be removed because of infection. I'm lucky I was so young when it happened - its healed relatively well."

Tyki leaned forward to kiss the corner of the empty socket, keeping the pressure gentle. Lavi moved closer, shifting to capture the older teen's lips with his own. Tyki moved one hand to the back of his boyfriend's head, fingers tangling in red locks and the other slipped to grab the eyepatch from Lavi's hand. The redhead willingly gave it up and Tyki tossed it in the general direction of the coffee table before moving his hand to the small of the younger teen's back and pulling Lavi closer.

#33 - Never

"Did you ever... care for me? Beyond sex?" Lavi asked in a small voice, not looking at the Noah. Tyki snorted inelegantly, making sure to keep his eyes on the Exorcist's bowed head.

"No, never," he said, turning away. "Now be a good little rabbit and leave. I kept you because your body pleased me, but I've grown tired of it."

The redhead flinched at the nickname that had once been murmured lovingly into his ears and was now so cold, just another knife with which the Pleasure could hurt him. Pain and anger mixed and the redhead mustered up all his energy to glare at the Noah's back. The expression was feeble, more pain visible in his eye than he was comfortable with, but the brunet wasn't watching.

"Fine. I'm gone." Lavi turned towards where the alleyway opened up into the street, footsteps at first hard and quick but then softer and slower until he stopped by the mouth of the alley.

"Tyki?" he called quietly, just audible to the older man. Neither turned. "Be safe."

Lavi turned quickly around the corner and broke into a run. Had Tyki been looking, he would have seen the redhead's shoulders shaking. The Noah looked up at the moon, face expressionless. Unbidden, a question Road had asked him once floated to the forefront of his thought.

'"Ty-ki~ have you ever told the truth about anything important?"'

Smiling bitterly, he lowered his gaze to the ground.

"No, never."

#34 - Sing

Inebriation was a wonderful thing. Alcohol, after all, was the best source of courage a man could have, especially if he was going to do something embarrassing, such as proposing to a certain lovely redhead by singing to him at a crowded karaoke bar during happy hour in front of all their friends and relatives.

#35 - Sudden

This battle was unlike any of their others. The Noah would press forward but would dodge more than attack - it was almost as if the Pleasure didn't want to hurt Lavi, though the redhead couldn't understand why. With a frustrated growl, he pressed forward, swinging his hammer with deadly intent towards the older man's head.

His opponent just smirked, instantly disappearing into the ground. Lavi cursed, stopping his momentum as quickly as he could and bringing Ozuchi Kozuchi up in a defensive position. He scanned the area warily, keeping his eye open for any movement - especially on the ground beneath his feet. He knew exactly what Tyki Mikk was capable of and no matter that the Noah didn't seem keen on hurting him this time, he wouldn't bet his life on the continuation of whatever whim the older man's behavior was caused by.

The sound of displaced air above him was his only warning. He looked up, bringing his Innocence up in a block as the Noah came down from above. Lavi cursed as the Pleasure pushed off of the air and dodged his strike, the man landing neatly just in front of the redhead. Lavi tried to back up, aware that the man was too close for him to hit, but the brunet just advanced as well, not letting the distance widen.

Suddenly, Mikk reached out to grab the Exorcist's wrist in a tight grip and yank him forward. Lavi yelped, stumbling into the Noah's firm chest while the older man's other arm wrapped tightly around his waist. He struggled, glaring up at the Noah as he tried to break his wrist free and slam his opponent over the head with his hammer.

Mikk ignored the struggles, quickly moving his head to press his lips to the redhead's in a sudden kiss. Lavi instantly froze, eye widening as the demanding presence against his mouth grew more passionate and a tongue brushed against his lips. He gasped in surprise and the older man took advantage to slip his tongue between the redhead's lips. The Exorcist remained frozen in the brunet's grasp, Innocence falling from his hand and landing on the ground with a dull clang.

When air became a pressing need, Mikk pulled away. He smirked at the shell-shocked redhead, licking his lips slowly and very, very deliberately.

"You taste good, Exorcist," he said, opening his mouth to continue when the distant sound of voices calling for the younger man reached their ears. The Noah frowned a bit, then shrugged and reluctantly released Lavi. "I was going to see if you tasted as sweet in other places, but I suppose that will have to wait."

The redhead just stared, one hand moving numbly to his lips as the Pleasure turned and began walking away as if nothing unusual had happened.

He was still standing like that several minutes later when Lenalee and Allen found him.

#36 - Stop

One of Tyki's least favorite words is the word 'stop' unless it is preceded by a 'don't' and lately his dislike of the word has increased to the point where he only likes it when Lavi is begging 'don't stop' while said redhead is wrapped around him and crying out in ecstasy.

#37 - Time

Time was a really strange thing. It seemed like only yesterday that he and Tyki had been at each other's throats and trying to kill each other and only hours ago that they had first shared a brutal, brief kiss after a particularly intense fight and only minutes ago that Tyki had knelt before him and pulled a ring from his jacket pocket.

As Lavi blinked, dazed, he realized that it had indeed been only minutes ago that the former Noah had asked for his hand and the man was still waiting anxiously for his answer.

#38 - Wash

Tyki was always curious to see who it was that did their laundry. He was certain no one else went through as many sets of sheets as he and his little bunny did; the nickname 'bunny' was not just for show. He hadn't heard any rumors about himself and the Exorcist though he was certain some gossip or another would have found out and spread the story as far as it would go until it was almost unrecognizable and had them both in bed with every other eligible Exorcist.

Imagine his relief when he found out it was a new and improved Komurin that did the Order's laundry and then Lavi's horror when they found out that this Komurin could accurately analyze what had been done on a bed and by whom due to the wrinkling of the sheets and was selling the information to Lenalee's doujinshi group.

#39 - Torn

The Noah breathed deeply, coming back to himself and feeling something sticky, heavy, and wet weighing down his palm. The air was heavy with the scent of copper but no trace of sweat, as though something had just died without much of a struggle. Tyki looked around the familiar hotel room in horror, noting the crimson-splashed walls and the barely disturbed furniture.

He swallowed thickly, refusing to look at his hand or consider what the substance was that was making his glove stick to the back of his hand and refusing to think about what his fingers held so tightly.

"Lovely?" he called out, voice weaker than he had ever heard it. The last thing he could remember was the Earl's malicious smile, the revelation that the man had known all along about his little rabbit, and then Road-

Road.

He could recall his niece's cold look, her hand reaching up to press against his forehead and then... nothing. Nothing but darkness and a vague sense of something being terribly, horribly wrong until he had woken up to the smell of blood and a weight in his hand that he wasn't thinking about, could not think about...

A large splash of the crimson liquid drew his attention against his will and his eyes followed the splash down the wall to a heartbreakingly still, pale figure with hair that blended in to the color drying on the walls.

Stunned, Tyki dropped to his knees. The mass he held in his hand fell out, released by numb fingers. It made a wet sound on the floor as it connected with a sickening squish.

His little bunny's heart.

He stared down at his hands in disbelief, unable to look at the corpse of the Exorcist. It wore such a gentle, if pained, smile, even now. The boy's Innocence was still firmly in the holster and shirt was gone, revealing the unmarked though discolored flesh of the boy's chest. The Noah stared at his hands, breath coming more rapidly and raggedly as he watched Lavi's blood drip from his fingers, the same fingers that had caressed the redhead's skin and brought the boy to the peak of pleasure time and time again...

'"We knew this couldn't last, but if one of us had to go-"'

Tyki shook his head in vehement denial, grabbing at his hair with his hands and feeling the blood soak into the strands as he tried to will the memory away.

'"-I guess it's better that it's me."'

"No, no..." Tyki moaned, still shaking his head as the phantom sensation of their last embrace encircled him.

'"I love you, Tyki."'

"NO!" Tyki screamed, all of his pain and rage and hatred pouring into the cry. He had never known this sense of loss and it tore at him, leaving only a void where there had been warmth, emptiness where his affection had once resided. A gaping hole had been opened up inside of him and it bled and sucked everything else around him into it, allowing nothing to fill it. This was not the kind of wound that simply healed - it was empty and raw and it hurt as though someone were ripping his heart out of his chest, as though someone were taking his lungs and squeezing, squeezing until they were useless masses of flesh and it hurt. He screamed and he screamed and he screamed, letting his cry continue beyond words as tears threatened to run down his face and all he felt was pain.

His throat was raw but he couldn't stop screaming or stop his mind from endlessly replaying images of his beloved rabbit.

His heart was in shreds. All he could see was Lavi; Lavi's smile, Lavi's laugh, Lavi's honest expression when the Bookman apprentice has first said 'I love you' in return. And now, by his own hand, he had-

Tyki screamed, darkness consuming him as he tumbled from sanity and a vine-like pattern grew over his skin. Vines sprouted from his back, encircling his body and he gave himself over to the Pleasure.

If nothing else, the Earl and Road would pay dearly for this. They would pay in blood and pain even if Tyki died in the process.

#40 - History

"What are you studying?"

Lavi looked up from his book and turned towards the familiar voice, smiling as he recognized the man standing just inside the door to his dorm room. He flipped the front cover of his book so the college senior leaning against the closed door could see it.

"Hi, Tyki. To answer your question, it's history. We have another three chapters due next week," he explained, turning back to his book. "I just need to get through a few more pages tonight, if you can wait a few minutes..."

Tyki made a small 'hmm' and began to walk across the floor, his feet making soft noises on the cheap flooring the college had put in. Lavi tuned him out, paying attention to his note-taking once again, but then there was a looming presence at his back and two arms came around the front of his chest, around his shoulders, and pulled him back from the desk. Lavi straightened up, blood firing in anticipation as warm air blew gently passed his ear and teeth bit lightly into the shell before a warm, wet tongue smoothed the mark and traced the sensitive skin lightly.

"I'd rather not wait, lovely. I'm sure I can find ways to distract you if you insist on doing coursework..." A hand began to slip down to cup the redhead through his pants.

Lavi gasped, dropping his pencil onto his desk as the hand fondled him, the motions sending jolts of pleasure through his body. Tyki chuckled, lips sliding down to suck at the redhead's neck. Lavi tilted his head to give the older student more room, hips rocking slowly into the motion of the brunet's hand.

"Do you still want me to wait a few minutes?" Tyki teased, flicking open the redhead's pants with ease born of long practice. Lavi shook his head as the other student's hand dipped below his waistband and wrapped around him firmly, stroking him slowly.

"Now's good too," he managed, putting all thoughts of his history homework out of his mind and turning in his chair to kiss Tyki. The older student moaned quietly in appreciation, letting Lavi's manhood go as the redhead stood up. Slowly, the brunet began to guide them to the bed for an activity much more interesting than homework.

#41 - Power

Lavi had never understood why some people enjoyed being tied up and completely helpless. Why would anyone want to put himself completely at another's mercy, to be totally overpowered and powerless before someone else, no matter how close they were to that other person? It made no sense, but now Lavi thinks he's beginning to understand.

There's something exciting about being totally at Tyki's mercy, something erotic about the way the silk ropes hold his hands to the headboard and keep his legs spread for his lover to rest comfortably in between. The touches the Noah gives him seem hotter when he can't touch himself and the caresses are more delicious when he has to describe in detail so his tease of a lover will do what he wants. There's something strangely empowering about being the one tied up but still calling the shots, of being able to command the Pleasure to lick him or kiss him and having his commands followed.

Being totally helpless isn't bad, not at all, though Lavi still thinks it will be a while before he's willing to wear the blindfold too.

#42 - Bother

It used to bother him when his partners for the night would ask him to stay since the sex was never worth staying the entire night. Only now, as he and the redhead slowly cross the line from partners to lovers, is the question more of an honor and less an unreasonable request.

#43 - God

"Oh God, don't-"

"God doesn't exist here, little Exorcist," Tyki hissed, biting deeply enough to draw blood on the redhead's neck. The bright crimson went well with the yellow-blue flesh of bruising. Lavi cried out in pain, arms jerking against the chain holding his wrists above his head. He strained his muscles and twisted desperately, trying to buck the Noah off of him.

Tyki just laughed darkly. That move had never worked and would never work. He drew away from the redhead's neck and licked his lips, pressing his mouth harshly to the Exorcist's in a move that was less a kiss than a claim. The younger man whimpered, jaw forced open by the Noah's fingers as they dug in to his cheeks. Lavi could taste his own blood on the Portuguese man's tongue and it sickened him, his stomach roiling at his absolute helplessness and the knowledge of whom it was that was claiming him.

Tyki broke away from his lips, hands moving down to shove the Exorcist's knees further apart. Knowing what was coming next and unable to stop it, Lavi turned his face from the sight. Even with his perfect memory, he couldn't remember the last time he had been warm and safe and happy. All he could recall, especially at moments like these, was the cold of this room, the pain of being used and hurt and taken against his will again and again, and the terror of hearing the doorknob turn and not knowing who would be coming to 'play' with him.

"Oh God don't, please don't, not again-"

All Lavi knew was splitting, burning agony and the pain of cuts not fully healed being ripped open. He cried out, trying desperately to tug himself away from the Noah, but his attempts failed just like they had so many times before.

"I thought I told you," Tyki hissed at him again, moaning quietly as he drew back out and slammed inside the redhead. The younger man cried out in pain, mindlessly pleading for someone, anyone, anything to stop what was happening. "God doesn't exist here."

#44 - Wall

Komui blinked, watching Allen as the flustered boy tried to explain why he wanted to soundproof the wall between his room and the room next to his. The white haired Exorcist had dark bags under his bloodshot eyes, proof of many nights spent with little to no sleep.

"I just hear them every night and they keep me awake..." Allen mumbled, silver eyes distant and wide with something that may have been horror or awe. "All night long, all the moaning and screaming and the bed creaking-"

Komui cleared his throat hurriedly. He really did not want a long description of what noises came from Lavi and Tyki's room at night.

#45 - Naked

Tyki smiled at his soon-to-be lover, gently moving the redhead's hands so he could see Lavi's body without any sort of obstruction.

#46 - Drive

Moments like these, with the top of the convertible down and the music playing just loudly enough to be heard easily over the sound of the wind while Tyki drives just over the speed limit to some as-of-yet unknown destination are some of the most peaceful moments Lavi knows.

#47 - Harm

In retrospect, the Earl knew he should have seen this coming. His right hand man, Tyki Mikk, was standing over the redheaded Exorcist's unconscious form, blocking the blow that would have severed the boy's head from his shoulders. The Earl narrowed his eyes at the Pleasure, leaning more of his considerable weight on his sword to try and break through the shield Tyki had created.

"You traitor," he hissed. "Betrayer. Black sheep. Judas."

"I'm sure... you know more phrases than that for what I am... Earl," Tyki bit out, keeping his stance firm even as his arm shook from effort. The golden-eyed man returned the Earl's glare with interest. "But I won't... let you hurt him."

The Earl mentally snarled, shoving off of the shield and pushing both himself and the former Noah back a few feet from where their standoff had been - over the redhead's limp form.

Tyki stood, breathing heavily but ready to jump back to the Exorcist's defense at a moment's notice. The Maker turned, customary smile still in place though it held a new, sharper edge of malice and hatred.

He should have seen this coming ever since the Pleasure had begun failing at missions where he would need to harm an Exorcist. At first it had only been the redhead and the Earl would hardly deny one of his Noah a pet, but then Tyki had started refusing to hurt other humans besides that Exorcist and now-

The Earl snapped his fingers, signaling a retreat.

They would come back.

Oh, they would be back.

#48 - Precious

Tyki lay awake in bed, listening to the soft sound of breathing beside him. A warm weight was curled half on his chest and half at his side, one arm laying gently on his chest and a hand resting over his heart. His arm was wrapped around thin but sturdy shoulders, holding that light, warm weight close to him.

He let his head loll to the side, red hairs tickling his nose a bit as he breathed in the scent of his lover. The Exorcist was deeply asleep by now, cuddled up to him as if this meant something more than a bit of comfort in a large, dirty world. Though Tyki wasn't quite ready to admit it, he hoped that one day he would be able to sleep next to the redhead just like this, cuddled up because it did mean something more.

Until that day, he would take the precious moments where he could pretend and hope that one day it wouldn't just be make-believe.

#49 - Hunger

Lavi kicked off his shoes, walking into his home with a wide smile. Classes were finally done for the week and he could enjoy a nice, relaxing weekend with his lover instead of worrying about what he was supposed to have learned for this or that professor this week.

"I'm home!" he called out, dropping his bag and coat by the wall in the small, eternally open closet. He could hang the coat up later if need be, but he wasn't too worried about it. He could smell some of his lover's excellent cooking and his mouth watered, feet carrying him to the kitchen/dining area. There was no door, just an open doorway to pass through and Lavi eagerly rushed through the space, heart becoming lighter as the stress of the week slid from him like water off a duck's back. He could hear movement in the kitchen, a wooden spoon scraping a metal pan and the sound of something frying. He didn't care what it was - it would taste wonderful. He was already salivating at the thought.

He moved into the kitchen, a huge grin spreading over his face when he saw his lover busy at the stove, the older man stirring what seemed to be a mixture of rice and vegetables with one hand while flipping thin strips of chicken in some sort of breading with the other, frying the meat in oil in a large, flat bottomed pan.

The redhead leaned against the doorway, grin softening to a content smile. The man at the stove turned, smirking at the younger man.

"Dinner will be ready in just a few minutes, lovely," the older man said, indicating his work on the stove. Lavi nodded, moving away from the wall.

"It smells wonderful, Tyki," he said honestly, walking towards his lover for a welcome home kiss. The joining of their lips was brief but sweet, tender and affectionate with only the barest trace of desire. They broke apart, the older humming softly in appreciation. Tyki looked into his younger lover's eyes with a hint of mischief.

"Would you like dinner or dessert first? This will keep until we want to eat it, so if you want dessert now..." The brunet's hands slid low on Lavi's hips, pulling the redhead closer. "-that can be easily arranged. I have some whipped cream in the fridge."

Lavi smiled, opening his mouth to bet the control of the can of whipped cream on a race to the bed, but just then his stomach growled loudly and he reluctantly pulled away from his lover. He blushed slightly, embarrassed by his stomach's opinion on what came first, dinner or dessert. Tyki just laughed.

"Dinner first then."

#50 - Believe

With the words 'I love you' echoing in his ears, he lets himself believe that maybe, just maybe, this can last longer than a 'fling' and last longer than the stupid war that forces them to keep this secret and forces them to steal moments like this, hidden from their friends and enemies by the dark of midnight.

The End

(1) - Portuguese for 'master' but I'm told it can also be used to mean 'teacher'.

(2) - Inspired by the awesome SisterWicked of AssHat Productions. She knows why.

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed these! They were darker than my previous set, but I think I like these better.

Let me know what you thought! For those of you who are reading A Game of Poker, I am working hard on chapter 19 and hopefully I will be able to update regularly or somewhat regularly after I post chapter 18 next week. (I don't want to post 18 until I'm done with 19, though I should be done with 19 this weekend) Please note that I will not be able to update as frequently as I have been able to in the past, but I will try to update at least once a month. I'll probably be able to update once every other week. Thank you for your patience.