I'm really starting to like the pairing Lavi/Kanda so I wrote (10) a mini story on the pairing. It's really light but quite fluffy.
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Lavi was scared of many things. The only asset that differed him from the other's was the fact that he hid it so well. He could hide any emotion behind that quirky smile. One might say he was a sociable person – which he was – but none of them really knew anything about him.
He could chat for years about his travels in china, how many girls he managed to pick up, what he ate, what he wore, but if you ever try to strike a conversation with him – an actual conversation – he would hastily change the subject and avoid you for the rest of the day.
Allen and Lenalee learnt from experience that you couldn't push him. Sure, he would shrug it off and laugh away with you, but he was just that little more reserved next time you speak to him. It was hard to know whether Lavi was really your friend or just a comrade – one that he wouldn't save in times of need.
And so people laughed along with him, not really understanding, and hardly ever caring. Lavi liked it that way. Hell, he needed it that way. Bookmen weren't supposed to have feelings for anything – anyone.
Yet if that was true… why was Kanda different?
Lavi couldn't deny it himself. However much he wanted to deny it, there was just something with the Japanese exorcist that separated him from the rest. No matter how hard he tried to act the same around him, he just couldn't help but pour his heart out to the boy.
He knew that nothing could stop him from muttering all his secrets out to him, on the compartment, in the cafeteria – anywhere they couldn't be seen from prying eyes. Perhaps it was because of the silence that always enwrapped them, almost as if he wasn't listening, almost as if he wasn't interested.
That was what Lavi thought him to be at first – completely apathetic. He would soon learn that this wasn't so. He had no idea how much attention he payed when Lavi was speaking – when anyone was speaking. He just – didn't like what they were saying. In Allen's case – certainly.
He found it oddly comforting that he had someone to listen to all the sad details of his life. He could just sit for hours in front of the boy, muttering curses about everyone he knew. He would listen but never comment. He never commented on why Lavi hated Allen, why he hated his life, why he hated his bookman duties, why he hated simply hated… everything.
Kanda wouldn't turn a cold ear – he wouldn't do that. He would sit with Lavi in silence and listen.
Lavi was happy there was someone to listen yet at the same time, he wanted something more.
He knew he should be happy that Kanda didn't slice him at the first chance he got but still – he knew that he wanted more. It was unquestionable.
Every time Lavi laid eyes on the boy, he would feel something roaring inside him. No, he didn't understand what this emotion was. After all, he wasn't supposed to feel any emotion at all.
But emotion wasn't something that he could suppress. He couldn't help but feel. But that was all he did. He only felt. He never actually did anything.
But that all changed. That all changed when Komui sent them on a mission to Paris. A long term mission that went for several months.
'We have discovered akuma in Paris a long time ago,' he said to them, 'Although they had been terminated by numerous exorcists, they just keep on coming. We think that there might be a broker in our midst. What I want you to do is simple, yet time consuming – most likely.
I want you to go undercover as two citizen's of Paris. To become a citizen, you would have to research their ways of course. I trust that Lavi would have the suitable knowledge to teach himself and Kanda everything you need to know about Paris. You will leave in a week so I expect you to know everything by then.'
Komui nodded, and they knew they had been dismissed.
It wasn't surprising that Komui had used such a grave tone – he was serious about missions, thank goodness to most people. And broker's were the hardest to get rid of, because they hid so well. So Lavi estimated that they would stay at Paris for a while.
He wouldn't have minded if it was a solitary mission but... months and months with Kanda? This wa going to be a nightmare, that much he was certain. He had trouble containing himself when he merely crossed paths.
Oh god.
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Kanda didn't like the idea of having to study with Lavi, of course. But he didn't seem to oppose it either. When Lavi bombarded into his room early in the morning, hoping to catch Kanda unawares, he was greatly disappointed to see him sitting on the bed, fully dressed.
'Let's go study,' he said, with the faintest touch of disappointment in his voice.
Kanda agreed and so they set off for the library.
The library was a place of refuge for Lavi. It was just like the forest was for Kanda. Each time he felt down, each time he felt the monster inside him grow bigger from need, he would always retreat back into the cosy selves stacked full of musty, old books.
It was almost like a home to him. Because all the other members of the order never really used the library except for times of utmost need – he would often find himself dozing off on a table, too tired to read anymore.
But now that Kanda was here, Lavi almost felt as though he was revealing a secret hideout. 'This library is sorted by the Dewey decimal system,' he said. 'the fiction books are on the right and the non-fiction are on the left.'
'The books that we are looking for are most likely on the far side of the library. Follow me.'
Obediently, he strolled behind as Lavi looked curiously back. The know-it-all voice that he used could be called snobbish. It was a surprise that Kanda didn't make a snide remark.
'I think this whole shelf is on Paris and Italy,' he said, pointing at the rows of multi coloured books. Kanda grunted and slowly walked along the shelf, stopping to pick one or two books out. Lavi followed suit and soon they had 6 whole piles on the table.
'I think we should stop now,' said Lavi. Kanda nodded and they set down reading. Time ticked as silence enwrapped them. Lavi soon got immersed into the book, as he always does. But he could always feel Kanda's presence sitting right next to him.
He could almost feel the warmth radiating from his body. Surprisingly, it seemed that Lavi felt just a bit more safe with him, because he found that he got through 19 books in record time.
At about 12 o'clock, Lavi yawned and stretched, exercising his muscles that he kept still for so long. 'Let's go take a break, how about that, Yuu-chan?' he asked.
When he saw Kanda slumped body, he smiled. With his eyes closed and head lying on top of a book, Lavi took him to be asleep. Suddenly, Kanda grunted and his head twitched a little. 'Mmm,' he mumbled, 'it hurts..'
Lavi jumped a little, surprised that Kanda could sleep-talk. What did he mean when he said 'it hurts?' Lavi looked at him closely, and he saw it. His chin was perched painfully on a hard book. It wouldn't have been comfortable.
He swung his legs over the bench and lifted Kanda's head gently into his lap. To Lavi's surprise, Kanda snuggled in closer and his breathing became deeper. Lavi simply melted at the sight. He never knew Kanda could be so… what was that word for it? What was that word for the little boy curled in his lap?
He nearly laughed at the insanity of it. Then something struck him as odd. Each time he got even relatively close to Kanda, he would feel… something… something bad. But he didn't feel anything now. It was a strange sense of peace.
Kanda shook slightly and clutched his shirt tightly. Lavi's mouth opened a bit until he realised that he was cold. He reached down for his hand and clasped it tightly. It was frozen. He slipped his coat off and wrapped it around Kanda's shivering body, marvelling at the scene.
--
When Kanda woke, he felt surprisingly warm. In fact, more warm than he usually was at night. His mouth twitched into a frown as he remembered what was happened in the morning. He felt a strange weight on his back and he could hear someone breathing.
This was bad.
Lavi head lolled as Kanda sat up abruptly. His coat slipped off his shoulders as he surveyed the scene. Lavi had fallen asleep on top of him – an auspicious sign by itself. Lavi's exorcist coat was wrapped around them.
He sighed and seeing no one around them, gently let Lavi rest on his lap. Of anyone came, he would just quickly shove him off.
No one came for ages, and Kanda continued to read, improving his English at the same time. Slowly, very slowly, he began to read about subjects off topic, all the while almost unconsciously running his hands through Lavi's flaming red hair.
The bunny himself was asleep and looked as if he wouldn't wake up for a long time so he started reading to himself. Quietly of course – he didn't want to wake him.
He had been reading one of Shakespeare plays, Romeo and Juliet. He had heard of it before, but never read or seen as a play.
'O Romeo, Romeo!' he muttered, 'wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name! Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet.'
'When he shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars and he will make the face heaven so fine that all the world will be in love with night and pay no worship to the garish sun.'
'They may seize on the white wonder of dear Juliet's hand and steal immortal blessing from her lips, who, even in pure and vestal modesty-'
'Still blush, as thinking their own kisses sin,' Lavi finished for him.
Kanda jumped up and ran two steps back. Shit. How was he going to explain this?
'How long have you been awake?' he demanded.
'Since you started quoting,' he replied, picking himself off the bench.
'W…Why didn't you move then?' he spluttered.
'Because,' he pulled the coat on slowly, not one trace of the humour evident, 'you listen when I have anything to say. I am just returning the sentiment.'
For once, Kanda was speechless.
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This was originally not going to go online but… Oh well… Hope you like it. Sequel likely but… Yeah…