(no subject)
Lavi smiles. He laughs and grins and is ever oh so careful not to touch anyone unless he absolutely has to. He's a skillful player at this, and so it's not obvious, really, that Lavi no longer speaks outside of his jests, of this pretense that everything is fine.
But then, there are the nightmares. Lavi screams in his dreams, begging 'please' over and over between his screams and 'no' and 'stop'. The three of the mix into a gruesome prayer that speaks of his months in captivity much more than he does or ever will. And then there's Lavi rushing out of his room and into the bathroom.
Allen sits outside, a tea mug long gone cold between his hands. He could offer tea - but he won't - or questions - but he won't - or sympathy - but he won't.
When Lavi comes out, wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand, Allen keeps sitting outside, glancing just once at Lavi, then looking away. Sometimes Lavi goes back to his room, closing the door and putting up the lock, because sometimes when Lavi looks at him he looks at Neah and that's too much for him.
But sometimes Lavi just sighs, like now, runs a hand through his sweat damp hair and slides down the wall besides him, not touching him and not speaking, tense and serious and unsmiling but there. And then Allen offers him his tea, and Lavi takes it and it's, Allen thinks, as close as either of them knows now of peace.