the last request

chapter3

"Hey, Lou Fa!" Lavi said loudly, walking over and sitting down next to the scientist. Lou Fa looked over at him and smiled politely.

"You're Bookman's apprentice, right? What was your name again?"

"Just call me Lavi!" Lavi said brightly, grinning stupidly.

"Mr. Lavi. I-I have a question... How long have Mr. Walker and Miss Lee been dating?" Lou Fa whispered, blushing deeply at her own question. Lavi stared at her blankly for a moment, and then started to laugh hysterically.

"Geez, no need to be so formal! Just Lavi is fine. But Allen and Lenalee aren't dating... Not yet, anyhow."

"I knew I didn't have a chance. I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up. It was dumb of me..." Lou Fa said miserably, looking about ready to cry. Lavi sighed, and muttered to himself. "Why does Allen have all the luck with the women? He's got Road, Lenalee, and Lou Fa chasing him." To Lou Fa, though, he smiled sympathetically and said, "Allen probably just hasn't noticed how you feel. You should tell him. What's the worst that can happen, right?"

"The worst?" Lou Fa said, getting a distant gaze in her eye, imagining herself humiliated in front of the whole Order after confessing to Allen in what was quite possibly the biggest overreaction ever. Lavi sweatdropped at this.

"Wow. You have quite an imagination. Between your fantasies... Or nightmares... And Allen's appetite, you two might go well together... Allen seems to have a talent for attracting weird girls... Between you and that Road Kamelot..." Lavi said loudly, causing Lou Fa to turn crimson.

"I am not weird! You are such a jerk!" She cried loudly, standing up and slamming her tray back down on the table, running off, causing half the Order to stare at Lavi as if wondering what he could possibly have done to upset her so much. After a moment, Lavi was smacked over the head by a metal tray.

"OW!"

"You have all the social grace of a goat!" Came bookman's critical voice from behind him.

Lenalee sat down next to them, snorting angrily, causing Lavi and Bookman to look up.

"Are you alright, Miss Lee? You seem distressed."

"Allen-kun was just being a jerk..."

"Isn't he always?" Lavi said jokingly, earning a slap from Lenalee.

"Shut up! He just did what he thought was right!"

"So, which is it? Was he being a jerk, or doing what he thought was right?" Lavi asked, raising an eyebrow, wondering how she could possibly be criticizing him and defending him at the same time.

"Both! ... N-neither! ... Shut up!... None of your business!" She shouted in rapid succession, abandoning her tray as well and storming off.

"Well that cleared things right up..." Lavi said blankly.

"You are in love with her, aren't you?" Bookman asked bluntly. Lavi gasped, causing him to inhale the food that he was eating.

"Wh-what are you talking about!"

"Miss Lee. You love her. I can see it when you look at her. I gave it time in the hope that you would get over it, but I now see that it isn't that you won't. It's that you can't, isn't it? As long as you and she are in such close proximity, she will always be an object of affection for you. I've already arranged it with Komui. We're leaving at the end of the week. Do not argue. There is no discussion to be had. Do not recommend alternate choices, because I assure you that there are none. We were never exorcists to begin with. We merely allied ourselves temporarily with the Order so that we could see this important, but secret chapter in history through to the end of it. However, we will have to find some other way to do that."