Écarlate (Kanda x OC)

Douze

Kanda and Zion's warm moment was interrupted by an obvious snort.  Zion looked up to meet a slightly irritated green eye as the person she was holding grunted in protest.

"Ready to get going yet?" Lavi asked with an unusual tone present in his voice.

When Kanda was finally urged to keep moving forward, he jerked away from the female Exorcist abruptly, looking at her with a slightly rosy tone in his cheeks before turning and striding before the other two.  Both Zion and Lavi hurried to catch up, but still strode a few steps behind.

Lavi's usually joyful and excited steps seemed rather sluggish, causing the brunette to wonder.  However, the pondering expression must have shown on her face as she unconsciously found herself gazing at the red-haired young man.  His green eye flicked towards her as she realized this and she averted her gaze.

"What?" The man asked, not in a very friendly tone.

"What's wrong?" Zion asked quietly, not wanting Kanda to join into the conversation considering she knew something was whirling within her companion's head.

"Nothing." Lavi returned to staring into the snow covered ground that the three were walking through.

"Not true." She began to pry.

"Fine, but I'm not going to tell you." His eye brightened slightly, but only slightly.

"Why not?"

"Because."

"I deserve to know."

"You don't even care, do you?!" Lavi's voice rose slightly when he looked at her again.  This statement earned a slap across his cheek, leaving a red mark.

"Idiot!" Zion yelled as her hazel eyes grew watery.

"How am I an idiot?!" He now cupped his sore cheek, looking at her with and equally as watery eye.

"Because I'm your friend! Of course I care about you!"

Lavi's arm fell from his face as both of his shoulders slumped.  Tears began to silently stream from his widened green eye.  He looked at the girl with complete disbelief.

"That's what friends are for, aren't they? To yell at you when you're being stupid, to drag information out of you when you're upset..." Zion began before standing on her toes to wrap her arms around Lavi's broad shoulders.  "And to hug you when you need one."

Slowly but surely, Lavi returned the hug, covering his nose in the girl's delicate shoulder and wrapping his strong arms around her waist.

When Zion was aware of the audience they earned, which was really only Kanda, she let go of the taller young man.  She showed Lavi a genuine smile.

"Now, what's wrong?" She asked kindly.

"Nothing, for real now." Lavi laughed slightly, wiping a stray tear from his eye.

"Well, what was wrong?"

A moment of silence followed before the red-haired Exorcist averted his gaze to a snow-covered tree in the distance.

"I was scared that you didn't give a crap about me..." He trailed nervously.

"Am I really that mean?" Zion pouted as Lavi placed a strong hand on her head and ruffled her brown hair.

"Yes." Lavi laughed.

"But you can be really annoying..."

"Like when?!"

"When you're flirting."

Both sociable Exorcists burst into laughter, knowing that the accusation was true.