D. Gray-man Fan Fiction ❯ A Game of Poker ❯ Puzzle Piece ( Chapter 20 )

A/N: This is my first multichapter fanfic for the DGM fandom! Yay! I'm fairly new to the fandom, but hopefully I haven't made any unforgivable mistakes.

 

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. Limes are in the future, and lemons in the uncut versions (not on fanfiction(dot)net). Maybe some OOC, spoilers for the end of the anime later on.

 

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. Anything you don't recognize (like the plotline of `A Game of Poker') does belong to me. Everything else… not so much. 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.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Personal issues have prevented me from writing very much, so I do not have chapter 21 done yet. I will be doing my best to work on it, but I thought my readers deserved a new chapter after waiting patiently for a month. I apologize for taking so much time and I hope I will be able to finish 21 within the next few weeks. I have NO intention of abandoning this fic - it will continue to the end.

 

Last Time On `A Game Of Poker':

 

It was for the best that he didn't stay. This thing between them was only temporary, after all.

 

He ignored the stares of the two Finders as he left the room, turning from the door and walking away. The door shut behind him, the sound echoing faintly in his ears and only just audible over the inexorable ticking of an imaginary clock.

 

And Now, The Continuation

 

A Game of Poker, Chapter 20

Piece of the Puzzle

 

Tyki watched the Exorcist leave, biting his cheek to keep from speaking the words that had flown to his tongue at Lavi's 'goodbye'. It was only after the door had shut that he felt safe to open his mouth and he turned away from the room's entrance.

 

The bed felt empty, almost cold despite the fact that it was warm to the touch. It suddenly seemed too big for only one person, though Tyki knew full well it was too narrow for two people to sleep comfortably on it. The Noah had no explanation for the sudden void he keenly felt in the room or why he had almost asked Lavi to stay with him rather than leave.

 

Tyki ran a hand through his hair, frowning in confusion. It was that last thought that troubled him.

 

He had never before wanted to spend time with someone beyond what time it took to seduce them and take his pleasure in their body, but with the redhead he had almost asked him to stay for more than the carnal activities they had just enjoyed. It hadn't been a calculated move, only an instinctive and automatic reaction. The sheer thoughtlessness of the desire worried the Noah, even more than the question itself.

 

Was what he felt truly simple affection? Affection was not something foreign to him, after all. He had felt affection and even fondness for other repeat partners before, but he had never wanted to stay with someone after the act. This seemed different, somehow, deeper almost, if that made any sense...

 

A thought whispered across the back of his mind. Startled, he jerked his gaze up and caught the eyes of his reflection in the mirror hanging on the wall across from his bed.

Tyki studied his image in the mirror. He was attractive in either of his forms, he knew. He had used his appearance to seduce many men and women who had never heard of the Millennium Earl and didn't know of Tyki's wealth and status. His exotic appearance as a Noah had won him some partners while others were won over by his looks in his 'white' form. It didn't matter to Tyki which guise he wore since both the 'white' and 'black' were him.

 

He would have though the Exorcist would have had a preference. Tyki had thought that the redhead would have preferred his human appearance since gray skin and stigmata were the marks of some of the worst enemies of the Black Order.

 

/'"I don't see you as an enemy."'/

 

Tyki stared at his 'white' self in the mirror then slowly lifted a hand to stare at the metal around his wrist that bound him in this guise.

 

Scowling, he tore his gaze away from the reflective glass and dropped his arm again.

It seemed the manacles not only repressed his 'black' side's power and instincts but made him think ridiculous, impossible, human things as well.

 

He lay back down in his bed, pulling the covers more firmly around himself and pretending he didn't wish a certain redhead would show up in his room once more. He stared at the deck of cards the Exorcist had left behind, willing his ridiculous train of thought to nothing.

 

Line Break

 

Komui sighed, paging through document after document as he read over the reports from his team of scientists. As Mikk provided them with more and more information about the workings of the Ark and the Akuma and even Innocence, more and more tests had to be done. The beret-topped man couldn't help but consider himself lucky that the men and women he had working in the Science Department had thrown themselves into the research wholeheartedly, each and every one of them glad to finally have work that could lead them somewhere instead of around in circles.

 

Mikk's knowledge - even the facts the Noah didn't consider important, such as the fact that Innocence were sources of perpetual energy and the power given off by the mysterious crystals is what caused the strange phenomena around them - was immensely helpful and was taking the Black Order's scientists in directions they had never before considered. The Tease that had come with Lavi had been opened up so that the Order could learn from the golem's circuitry and a whole new, sleeker and improved line of golems were being created from the knowledge gained by studying the odd wiring and components of the complex machine. The Tease had been put back together almost exactly as it had been with one crucial feature - it no longer was capable of eating human flesh. The butterfly still couldn't be returned to Mikk despite that safety precaution, but the golem didn't seem to mind hanging out in the Science Department, if such a machine could be said to have a mind.

 

Of course, all the new research and discoveries and now-constant experiments and tests meant a lot more paperwork.

 

Komui sighed again, pausing to scan a new document. With a slight frown, he realized it was a second request for Allen Walker to be turned over to Leverrier for punishment.

 

Tired and past caring about subtlety, the white-clad man crumpled up the piece of paper and dunked it into his coffee. The brown liquid was getting cold in his cup by now anyway and Lenalee would be along in a few minutes to fill it up. His adorable sister had been much nicer about getting him his coffee and making sure it was properly made (no sugar, no cream) ever since he had agreed to consider that Lavi might not be a traitor.

 

A series of knocks at the door to his office - four in total, fast with a short pause in between knock three and four - drew his attention. He looked up, a curious expression crossing his face, then comprehension. He put down the papers he had been reading and turned in his chair to face the door completely.

 

"Come in. It's not locked."

 

The handsome slab of wood slowly opened, moving silently on the well-oiled hinges. A woman stood in the doorway, the hood of her Finder robe pulled down to allow her straight brown hair to spill halfway down her back. Her eyes were cold and reserved, a light blue that almost seemed like ice in the right light. She shut the door behind herself quietly and made her way to the supervisor's desk, making a slightly annoyed expression at the stacks of papers on the floor that Komui had yet to go over.

 

"Ah, Rebecca," Komui greeted her, forcing himself to smile. Rebecca nodded in return, stopping a foot from his work area and folding her arms behind her back.

 

"I'm here to report, Supervisor. He's moved," she told him briskly. "Richard and I were on guard duty. The Exorcist came down to visit the Noah about ninety minutes ago and was with the prisoner for approximately eighty minutes. As instructed, I observed the meeting."

 

Komui nodded as she paused for breath, interjecting quickly.

 

"So Lavi visited Mikk and was with him for almost an hour and a half?" he asked to confirm. Rebecca nodded, the motion a quick jerk of her head. " Did he notice that you were watching? Did they do anything suspicious? Say anything that might be in some sort of code?"

 

The Finder paused, eyes flicking to the floor for a brief instant before moving back towards the white-clad man's face. Komui's curiosity shot up a notch.

 

"Lavi requested that I stay outside the room and asked to shut the door. I did as he asked, but I opened the door once Richard heard him walk across the floor. I don't think he realized I was watching him." She paused again then met Komui's eyes directly. "I originally believed that they were talking in some kind of code while playing poker-"

 

"Poker?" The word was out of Komui's mouth before he could catch it. The woman nodded.

 

"They played two hands, which I observed. Richard was listening at the door and will transcribe what he heard."

 

Komui frowned, puzzled. Why an Exorcist would visit a Noah to play cards with was beyond him. Why only two hands?

 

"You said you didn't think they were speaking in code," he said slowly. Rebecca nodded seriously. "Why? What else did they do besides play cards?"

 

Two hands of poker did not take almost an hour and a half. That accounted for maybe ten minutes of the time the redheaded Bookman apprentice had spent with Mikk, but what about the other seventy minutes the Finder claimed Lavi had spent with the Noah?

 

"They had intercourse," Rebecca replied emotionlessly. Komui stared, the words not hitting him for almost five seconds after she had said it. His eyes widened almost comically and he leaned back in his chair.

 

"They did what?" he asked weakly, hoping that either his ears were playing tricks on him or the woman was telling a joke. From what he knew of her, the second option wasn't likely. The first was still a possibility however, given that he had been doused in so many strange chemicals time after time from failed experiments. Who knew what sort of effect those mixtures had had on him?

 

Rebecca stared at him impassively.

 

"They had sexual relations," she said coolly. "I don't have details on that part of the encounter - once the Noah removed Lavi's shirt, I shut the door. Richard was still monitoring, though I doubt he'll want to write what he heard. I heard enough and his ears are more sensitive than mine."

 

The white-clad man blanched at that.

 

"That won't be necessary," he said quickly, removing his glasses with one hand and rubbing one of his temples with the other. "Was there anything else?"

 

Rebecca shook her head.

 

"Nothing. Shall we continue to watch?"

 

Komui nodded, putting his glasses back on.

 

"Observe whenever Lavi visits Mikk. If they get... intimate again, I don't expect you to watch that."

 

The Finder nodded again, her arms dropping to her sides.

 

"I assume I'm dismissed then?" she asked. The supervisor bobbed his head.

 

"Of course. Keep me informed."

 

With a final brisk nod, Rebecca turned. Komui watched her go, then called out one last time.

 

"Please keep this to yourself and tell Richard to do the same." If word got out that an Exorcist and a Noah were together...

 

"Of course," the Finder said, not even looking towards the man at the desk as she walked out of the office as quietly as she had come.

 

Komui sighed, sinking back in his chair as the door shut behind her.

 

That... had certainly not been what he was expecting. He didn't know what he had expected, but it was not to hear that one of the Exorcists had been having sexual relations with a Noah.

 

He stared blankly at the paperwork on his desk, mind working behind his flat gaze as he turned this new piece of information over in his mind. This revelation cleared up a lot of things now that he thought about it. It also hinted at other possible explanations for the redhead's actions, explanations other than 'he's a traitor planning on selling us all to the Earl'. Previously, Komui had no good, compelling reason why the Noah had saved Lavi (or vice versa), but if the pair had been 'together' since before Mikk's supposed defection...

 

Now the redhead had a probable motive for rescuing the Portuguese man. It hadn't even occurred to Komui to factor in any sort of relationship. As far as he knew then, Lavi and Mikk hadn't had any contact beyond their two violent meetings in Edo and the Ark when the Bookman apprentice had accompanied Allen in trying to find General Cross.

 

Komui didn't exactly approve; if there had been a relationship between them before Mikk had allegedly left the Earl then Lavi had been fraternizing, but in light of the current circumstances he was exactly inclined to be disapproving either. Just the information they had gotten from the Noah so far - all checked and verified by trusted Order scientists - was useful, even if Mikk couldn't answer all of his questions. The relationship between the redhead and the brunet had been the puzzle piece Komui had been missing. Lavi's story, his desire to keep it from Bookman, the Portuguese man's supposed 'rescue' of the Exorcist in the heart of the Earl's stronghold... things made a lot more sense with that factored in.

 

A lot more sense, but things were not yet completely clear. Komui was fairly certain Lavi was still as loyal to the Order as a Bookman apprentice could be, but Mikk was an unknown quantity. The man had definitely been cooperative, helpful, and apparently honest so far, but if there was even the smallest chance that this was part of one of the Manufacturer's plots, Komui couldn't let the Noah loose. As a precaution, Lavi would still need to be watched as well. Though unlikely, if this was some sort of scenario of the Earl's and the Maker knew of the relationship between the Pleasure and the Exorcist, the redhead could very well be a puppet of the Earl's without being aware of it.

 

The sound of his door opening drew his attention from his thoughts. He looked up, automatically reaching for the paperwork in case it was Reever and he needed to pretend to be busy.

 

Lenalee poked her head in, peering around the door. Komui relaxed and released the papers he had reached for, leaning back in his chair. His sister smiled and nudged the door open, revealing the mostly empty tray she carried. One lone cup, blue with a pink rabbit on it, still rested on the tray while the brown liquid inside steamed faintly. Komui's eyes traced the lines where the cup had been glued back together after he had dropped it while Lenalee had been looking for Cross Marian.

 

The Chinese Exorcist walked across the office floor, nimbly avoiding the many stacks of paperwork that littered the ground as she walked around the desk. She stopped by Komui's chair, picking up the blue cup and setting it next to the plain one he had been drinking from earlier. Lenalee paused when she noticed the crumpled document soaking up coffee and she reached for the plain cup, then turned to her brother with a curious expression.

 

Komui shrugged, smiling innocently.

 

"I was a bit clumsy," he said, gingerly reaching into the old cup and withdrawing the soaked ball of paper. Lenalee wrinkled her nose, backing away a bit as the man tossed the dripping document into the nearby garbage can. "Leverrier would like to have a... talk with Allen, it seems."

 

The Chinese girl's eyes went distant and she shifted her arms unconsciously, hugging the tray to her chest.

 

"I suppose it's a good thing you're so clumsy then, brother," she said, then shook herself and smiled. The expression was a bit strained, but Komui returned it and resisted the urge to pull his adorable sister into his arms. He hadn't been able to be here for her back then and even though he knew she didn't blame him, it was hard not to blame himself - especially in moments like these.

 

"It looks like I won't have much more of a problem with clumsiness," he said, turning slightly away from Lenalee to nod at the stacks of paper. "The Noah has given us a lot of information on the Ark. Apparently the one we have was useless to the Earl and so he tried to download the program, but was interrupted by Allen. The Earl can't do anything to our Ark or access it; as soon as our scientists manage to confirm the information Mikk has given us, the Ark can be cleared for use."

 

Lenalee's eyes brightened at that and her false smile melted into a truly happy expression. Only one slight cloud remained, one Komui didn't doubt was caused by the mention of Tyki Mikk.

 

The office was quiet for several seconds before Lenalee spoke, looking down at the floor.

 

"Are we sure we can trust him?" she asked, voice small but with a core of steel wire. "He has killed Exorcists before. He almost killed Allen. He tried to kill Lavi - he tried to kill all of us, Allen, Lavi, Chaoji, me..."

 

He could see her shoulders start to shake and stood, opening his arms to offer comfort. Lenalee moved forward, still hugging the tray to herself but allowing her brother to wrap his arms around her shoulders and tuck his chin over her head, giving her a safe place to cry if she needed it. He rubbed soothing circles on her back and she took a shuddering breath before she continued.

 

"He almost killed Kanda not too long ago. I just..." She shook her head, pulling back slightly from her brother. He let her go, resting his hands on her shoulders as she smiled up at him. "I'm being silly, aren't I? I should let you get back to work..."

 

Komui shook his head, trying to grin back and knowing that the expression would come out strained, just like Lenalee's smile.

 

"Work can wait," he told her, trying to find the correct words. His adorable sister was the type to keep things in if she thought she'd make other people unhappy - though she hadn't argued with him and had helped Lavi get the Noah to the infirmary that night, Komui had little doubt that her fears had been eating at her ever since. Her relief at seeing Lavi and Allen safe and well would have overpowered any fear she felt from Tyki Mikk's presence, especially since the Noah had been unconscious at the time, but now, with some time to adjust and really think about what was going on - especially with Mikk walking back and forth from the cafeteria in order to eat...

 

He sighed, moving his hands from his little sister's shoulders and looking away. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Lenalee look back up at him but didn't turn to her again. He made a hesitant waving motion towards the stacks of paperwork he had yet to read.

 

"Mikk has already given us this much information. Order scientists are verifying everything he has told us and so far, he hasn't lied. Even the cannibal golem - the Tease - is leading us towards developing better golems for use in the field." He turned towards Lenalee again, stretching his strained smile wider. "We don't quite trust him, but he's helping us save more lives by giving us this information. He might really be on our side."

 

The Exorcist's hands tightened on her upper arms, hugging herself tighter.

 

"'Might' is still a pretty big risk, brother," she said softly. Komui let his smile fade, nodding.

 

"Well, we won't be letting him out of the manacles any time soon. He can't use his powers while he has those on and he's under constant guard." He reached out and ruffled her hair in an attempt to be reassuring. "If it helps, Allen doesn't think he's here to kill us. Lavi trusts him."

 

The white-clad man mentally winced as his brain automatically called up the information Rebecca had just given him. Lavi apparently really trusted the man, if he was willing to do... that... with him.

 

Lenalee nodded briefly, careful not to make the motion too abrupt and dislodge Komui's hand.

 

"I know they trust him, but... it's hard. I can pretend for them to make them happy, but he still scares me." The girl's voice was quiet, but then she sighed softly and looked up. Her smile was a bit less strained. "But if he really can't hurt anyone with the restraints on, then I guess I can try and learn to trust him." She hesitated, then moved forward and hugged her brother. "Thanks, Komui-nii-san."

 

Komui's eyes widened momentarily, a bit surprised, but then he wrapped his arms around his sister and smiled.

 

"You're welcome," he said, releasing her. Lenalee smiled and turned towards the door, eyes red-rimmed but expression much brighter than it had been. She waved as she neared the door, hesitantly lifting her hand and moving it back and forth. Komui smiled and gave a small wave in return, watching as the Exorcist walked out the door and shut it behind her.

 

He took a deep breath, letting it out in a rush as he turned back to his desk and eyed the stack of papers. He studied them, then let his gaze flick to the door. Back to the papers. The door. The papers.

 

Quietly, he approached the desk and grabbed his cup of coffee his adorable sister had made. Grinning wickedly, he began to creep around the desk towards the door. He had been working for a few hours, after all, he deserved some sort of break...

 

He was still five feet from the door when it opened again to reveal a tall blond man. Komui stopped dead in his tracks, a too-wide smile pasted on his face.

 

"Ah, Reever! Nice to see you here..." he said, casually reaching into his coat for a smoke bomb as Reever walked into the office. "I was just-"

 

"Supervisor," Reever said, tone foreboding. The white clad man gulped, edging away from the scientist with what seemed to be his usual melodrama. Komui carefully backed up, angling himself and leading the blond man in something of a circle so he had a clear shot at the door. "There's still a lot of work to be done and Johnny's group needs your signature-"

 

"Now, Reever-"

 

"I'm serious," the scientist said irritably, moving almost within arms reach of the other man. Sensing that his window of opportunity was slowly shrinking, Komui quickly drew out the bomb and threw it at the ground between Reever's feet. He heard the blond man curse as thick smoke began to billow from the bomb and Komui mentally cackled. Sure of his escape, he turned and began to scamper towards the door.

 

A hand reached out through the smoke and grabbed his arm, yanking him backwards. The brunet yelped, almost falling and spilling his coffee all over his white coat. The hand held him steady as the smoke cleared. Reever held the supervisor's arm firmly, not letting him escape. The blond man smirked as his prisoner shot him a baleful glare.

 

"Nice try, but the same trick won't work twice," Reever told him, slowly pulling Komui back towards the desk. The supervisor dragged his heels, forcing the blond to carry all of his weight. Reever didn't comment on the man's stubbornness, shoving him almost gently into the chair and turning him to face the desk. Komui gave a long-suffering sigh and put down his coffee cup before gingerly picking up a new document and a pen. Flicking a glance towards Reever, he noticed that the blond was watching him like a hawk. He sighed again.

 

He began to read the sheet of paper, eyes moving disinterestedly over a document regarding permission to punish Al Jacobs, the scientist whose turn it had been to lock the room that held the Ark the night Lavi and Allen had illegally accessed it. The incident - according to the report - had been an accident caused by not enough coffee and too little sleep. The report cited other, more minor examples of difficulties caused by Jacobs's lack of sleep and resulting inattention to detail.

 

Thinking back on some of the mistakes he had made while in a similarly tired state (such as mixing two chemicals that were highly toxic and explosive at room temperature), Komui winced and signed his name to permit the 'punishment'. Starting tomorrow, Jacobs would be confined to his room for three days and let out only for meals. In other words, Jacobs was on vacation for three days.

 

Komui moved to set the document aside, eyes landing briefly on the stacks of paperwork he had yet to read. The mountains of documents that needed his signature, much as he disliked the paper part of his job, were proof that a lot of good had already come from that incident and more good was likely to follow as soon as Mikk's loyalties were ascertained.

 

With a quiet, thoughtful hum, Komui pulled the paper back towards himself and scratched out the 'three days' under the 'duration' heading. In its place he wrote 'one week'.

 

Good work, however accidental, deserved some sort of reward.

 

TBC…

 

A/N: Thank you to all who reviewed - it really made my day. Chapter 19 had the most reviews out of any other chapter (including reviews on LJ). Please keep reviewing - it really does help, even if it didn't seem like it for how long it took me to post this.

 

The next chapter will be out as soon as I can finish it and get it beta'd. I hope this chapter will tide you over until the next - I know there wasn't much Lucky in it.