Engaging Innocences

Hammer

“Hammer is everything all right?” Allen asked the quiet boy. He walked beside Lavi but kept himself apart from all of them. He only shrugged one thin shoulder. Lavi frowned at him. The wind played with the boy’s dark hair. Tim and Mugen were happily running around. Arms linked together their laughter echoed back to the exorcists. Lavi reached out to brush Hammers hair out of his face. The boy jerked back. Lavi pulled his hand away, a small frown turning down his thin lips.
“Have I done something wrong?” Lavi asked quietly. The boy blinked at him. He turned his head to the pirate looking boy.
“No.” he snapped. He turned his gaze back out to the water that surrounded the tiny island. Lavi looked away.
“I'm sorry, about your name I mean.” He paused as Hammer's feet stumbled. Peering sideways he looked at his master.
“It’s sokay.”  He muttered. Lavi sighed. He glanced over at Allen who was watching the pair. Allen frowned at the darker skinned boy. He acted more like Kanda than Lavi. Allen was concerned that this could ruin how the pair would fight together. How could they fight like this? He wondered.
Allen’s gaze flicked out over the small field they were walking in. Timcampy was happily chasing Mugen around with a flower in his hand. The sword boy was laughing. Tim wasn’t Allen’s innocence. Allen knew he could still fight the Akuma. Tim was his friend, a companion that he had in the darkest times of his life. The golden boy knew so many of his secrets. Would the boy tell anyone? Allen felt a pit open in his stomach. He looked back to Lavi.
Hammer had moved farther away. Lavi looked reluctant to follow. “Hey Hammer, why are you mad at Lavi?” Allen called out.
“Oh, maybe because he is a stupid rabbit.” Kanda growled. The whitehaired boy had nearly forgotten the sullen samurai walking beside him. Hammer snorted. The hurt look on Lavi’s face made the boy turn away again.
“Not mad.” He muttered. He bent to pick up something from the ground. Straightening he tossed the flat stone out over the water. It skipped a half dozen times before sinking from view. Lavi clapped a hand this shoulder.
“That was great!” he crowed. Hammer gave him a tiny smile.
“You always forget my abilities.” He muttered looking down at his bare feet. Lavi slid his hand down the boys back, letting it fall to his side.
“It’s not that I forget what you can do…” Lavi’s voice trailed away. He took a deep breath letting it out in a huff. “… it’s more that I am afraid of letting you do too much. Afraid I will become dependent on you.” He added softly. Hammer looked up at him. The shock on the young boy’s face would have been comical if it wasn’t so for what he said next.
“I want you to be dependent on me!” He cried. “How else am I supposed to keep you alive!” He looked away as if his outburst was more than what he wanted to say. Lavi gave his bowed head a smile.
“I’m a bookman.” He whispered.
“Not while I am around.” Hammer pointed out. He turned to stand toe to toe with the taller teen. “You are an exorcist because we chose each other.” He added. Lavi looked at him shocked at the simplicity of his statement.
“Oh, Hammer.” The teen ran a hand through his unruly red hair. Reaching out with one arm he pulled the boy to him. Lavi ruffled the boy’s dark locks.
“Wherever I go, I will bring you with me.” He decided. Hammer’s thin arms reached up to wrap around the pirate teen’s waist. He hugged him tightly.
“When you decide to move on from the order…” Hammer’s voice trailed away. Lavi tightened his hold.
“I won’t leave you behind. No matter what Bookman says.” The strength in the red-haired boys voice was all the child needed to hear. He swiped at his eyes.
“Thank you.” He pulled away looking out over the water. “But I’m not the outgoing type like you. Opposites attract ya know.” He commented. Lavi grinned.
“Ok, I get it. You can pout just like Yu!” Lavi laughed.
“Do not call me Yu!” Kanda snapped.
“Oh, what are you going to do about it?” Lavi asked. He pointed over to where Tim and Mugen were laughing as the danced around each other. “Your sword is a little boy.”
“I still have my hands.” Kanda moved to get into Lavi’s face.
“He might like getting choked.” Allen observed. They all turned to look at the pale boy. Allen felt his face heat up. Lavi’s mouth dropped open, Kanda raised his eyebrows. Hammer looked at Allen and burst out laughing.
He was laughing so hard he doubled over putting his hands on his knees. When he lost his balance and fell to the ground, he hugged his stomach tightly as he continued to laugh. Allen frowned at him. Lavi began laughing at the sight of the boy rolling on the ground. It was obvious the boy was having trouble catching his breath as he laughed so hard his face was red. Tears ran down his face from his laughter.
Allen leaned over the boy. “Uh, Hammer are you ok?” He asked, Hammer eyes were squeezed shut as he laughed. He pointed to Lavi, then back to Allen and his laughter became stronger again. Kanda dumped a pail of water over the boy’s head. The laughter sputtered to a stop. Breathing heavily Hammer sat up.
“Thanks, I needed that. Oh, boy Allen…” He shook his now wet hair at the teen. “…you have no idea.” Lavi held out a hand to Hammer. The boy took it and the teen pulled him to his feet. Hammer’s hand fell to Allen shoulder. Allen was a bit pissed that the boy was nearly as tall as he was.
“That was the best.”
“You don’t need to say anything else.” Lavi warned. His one green eye glaring at the boy. Hammer held up his hands toward Lavi.
“Nope, I think Al, here said it all.” Hammer began to walk away.
“Names Allen.” Allen muttered to the retreating back. Hammer only waved a hand at him.
“Save that for the tough guy.” He ordered as he moved to sit on a boulder to watch Tim and Mugen. The two boys had been playing together all this time and missed everything. Hammer watched them one knee bent up on the rock. He rested his elbow there, cradling his chin in his cupped hand. A soft smile touched his lips as his eyes soften while looking at the two boys.
“You could go join them.” Lavi announced his presence as he walk up to the boy. Hammer shook his head slowly.
“No. They seem to be enjoying themselves.” He lowered his leg so both stuck out in front of him as he sat on the rock. He didn’t look up to Lavi.
“You ever feel like you just don’t belong anywhere.” Lavi snorted. He leaned his side against the boys back. Hammer tilted his head up to look at him. Lavi was looking out over the water.
“All the time. I am a bookman’s apprentice.” He stated only loud enough for the boy to hear. Hammer took ahold of his hand, pulling the arm around his shoulder. He twisted Lavi’s pointer finger back and forth between his own.
Suddenly there was a cry. Mugen was standing close to the edge of a cliff. He was leaning out over it. “Tim!” he screamed. Allen and the others came running over.
“What happened?” Kanda demanded. Mugen pointed over the edge of the cliff.
“We didn’t know we were so close. Tim fell down there.” All eyes turned to Allen. Allen was the only one not looking down. Instead he was looking upwards into the growing dark clouds.
“Tim get down here. You’re really scarring him.” Allen called up into the sky.
“But he fell….” Mugen’s voice trailed away as the golden boy flew into view. Large golden wings sprouted from his back.
“Timcampy can fly.” Allen pointed out needlessly. The golden bird boy flew down to land in front of them all. The huge grin on his face was only for the dark-haired beautiful boy standing beside his master.
“Oh, Mugen you should have seen your face.” Tim laughed. Mugen looked thunderous. It was in this moment that the others saw why this little boy belonged to Kanda.
“I thought you died!” He screamed at the boy. Tim’s smile fell away. Mugen lashed out at him, punching him in the chest. “That wasn’t funny.” He cried still hitting the other boy. Tim did nothing to stop the assault. He just took the hits as he stared at Mugen in shock. Kanda wrapped his arms around the boy. He was able to pin the wild child’s arms to his side.
“Calm down.” Kanda ordered. Allen looked at Tim.
“That wasn’t a nice thing to do.” He scolded the boy. Tim looked between all the accusing eyes on him.
“You have all seen me fly before. You know I have wings!” He was stunned that they would forget something like that. Allen placed a hand on his shoulder. The green eyes lifted up to him. The white-haired boy saw the tears shimmering in their depths.
“We didn’t know for sure that your wings could manifest in this human form, Tim.” He told him calmly. Just then Allen’s stomach rumbled. He looked away; heat once more rising to his face.
“Let’s go get something to eat.” Lavi said. He turned with Hammer to lead the way back inside for lunch.
As they were nearing the front path that would lead up to the door, two figures appeared at the end of the path. The group stopped to wait for them. Lenalee, another exorcist and the finder who had gone out with her, Daniel walked up to the group waiting.
“Um, who are these boys?” She asked eyeing the three newcomers. “Are they new accommodators?” Allen greeted her with a smile and a wave.
“Um, not exactly.” He said crinkling his eyes closed in an awkward smile. “Um, this is Timcampy.” He dropped his hand again to the golden boys’ shoulder. Lenalee looked at him, her mouth falling open. She tightened her grip on the bag she was carrying.
“As in, your…” her voice trailed off.
“That’s Hammer and Mugen.” Allen finished. Lenalee looked over the boys once more. Each one stood beside their accommodator.  Her mouth snapped shut as her eyes narrowed. She locked them back into the gray eyes of Allen Walker.
“What has my foolish brother done now?” She demanded. “How are you supposed to use these little boys against the akuma?” she looked out over them her eyebrows furrowing together.
“We aren’t.” Kanda spoke beside Allen. “We are stuck at headquarters until the science department can resolve this.” He waved a hand over Mugen. The boy looked up at Lenalee, a smile growing on his handsome face. She smiled back at him. Allen’s stomach rumbled again.
“Right, lunch.” Lavi cried. He took Allen’s elbow in one hand and Hammer’s in the other. He marched toward the main doors. The others had no choice but to follow. Lavi didn’t stop until they were in line in the cafeteria.