Culture Shock

AN: As I write this, I am completely stranded without internet. =_= thank god its not over the actual week of Laven week. That would make me want to punch a baby or something.... DDDD:

Also, I'm basing the tailgating party off an episode of "Monk" so... ^^'' please don't get offended.

Anyway... just a note for the story... when I say 'football' I mean American football. Not soccer... so yeah... keep that in mind

HAPPY LAVEN WEEK~!

August sixth: culture

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Why Allen allowed this was beyond him. It was loud. It was stupid. And above all, it was... American. Now, that isn't to say Allen disliked Americans, he thought they were loud, sometimes ignorant, and rather bossy but otherwise good people. They made great food. Big, greasy cheesy hamburgers and giant juicy steaks, fried chicken, barbequed beef ribs, smoked pork chops so tender they practically melted in your mouth- the list would have gone on and on if Allen didn't shake his head to clear it when he started thinking about the food. Anything meaty or on a bun was pure bliss. Anything meaty and on a bun was just downright orgasmic.

Allen sighed, wishing he was sinking his teeth into one of those giant American cheeseburgers he had grown so fond of instead of being dragged around by his Canadian boyfriend in an over crowded parking lot. Lavi had insisted that while they were visiting the beautiful city of Pittsburgh (though beautiful was not the word Allen would have used to describe the city) on their road trip across The United States of America (another thing Allen was questioning), they just had to see the 'big game' because apparently it was the Steelers against the Chiefs, two of Lavi's favourite teams playing in the same arena.

At first Allen had thought it was a nice game of football so he agreed to go to the game and to the tailgating party beforehand as well, whatever that was. Of course, Lavi had intentionally omitted the teeny, tiny fact that it was American football. American. Not the one where you actually use your feet. And they tailgating party wasn't what Allen had expected either. It was a bunch of chubby, meathead, over muscled men with the odd woman in the mix, drinking, burning hamburgers on charcoal grills, screaming at each other over who was going to win, doing bad cheers, throwing Frisbees, smoking, painting their chests with the colours of their team, and just being generally obnoxious from Allen's point of view.

What the hell possessed Lavi to even want to go to such an annoying place?

"Isn't this awesome, Allen? Isn't it? You've never been to anything like this have you? Being the adorable little brit you are. Heh, isn't American culture great? We don't have anything nearly this crazy in Canada, unless you count the hockey games eh? Even then its too bloody cold to have tailgating parties." Allen forced a smile and nodded, wishing they were at a hockey game instead of making their way through a crowded, smelly, and loud parking lot full of screaming football fans.

"This certainly is an experience, Lavi..." An experience Allen would let him enjoy while it lasted before making Lavi promise to never include him in again. Ever.

"I'm glad your enjoying yourself, Allen! I thought doing something cool and new together would be fun, but in Pittsburgh there isn't a whole hell of a lot to do aside from watch a football game. Thank god we're only here for a couple days eh?" Allen kept smiling and nodding, not wanting to rain on Lavi's parade. The redhead grinned and waved at some people who seemed friendly, joining in with the yelling and bad cheering as he pulled Allen along with him.

"Yeah..." Allen sighed, eyeing a steak sizzling on one of those big American grills longingly. He would have given his right arm for an English crumpet, some warm tea and a massive American cheeseburger right then...

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The crowd was roaring and Allen was covering his ears, wishing with everything he had that he a brought a pair of earplugs to relieve the sound of thousands of people screaming at each other, the refs, the players and the coaches. Lavi, the ever loud Canadian redhead he was, screamed right along with them, throwing in the odd insult in his faint accent.

"Lavi, do you really have to yell?" Allen shouted over the screaming crowd, dearly wishing he was in a soccer stadium instead. At least it if was soccer he would know what was going on in the game, and might actually know why people were cheering.

"That's the whole point of coming to a football game, Al-babe! Screaming till you're hoarse and loving every second of it! Come on, try it!" Lavi patted Allen's shoulder encouragingly, conveniently forgetting that Allen knew next to nothing about football what-so-ever. Even the name of it didn't make sense to him, but that was another issue entirely.

"Okay..." Allen swallowed nervously, taking a deep breath and joining in Lavi and the crowd, cheering and being politely rude to the other team, even though he had no idea what was going on in the game or why the Steelers had ten more points than the Chiefs.

Allen cheered when Lavi cheered, booed when Lavi booed and when the game finally ended, the Steelers screaming in victory, Allen rubbed his throat tenderly, wondering why he let Lavi talk him into 'cheering' on a team he knew nothing about. They waited until it wasn't suicide to attempt to leave, making their way through the chattering crowd to try and get back to their car.

It took twenty minutes to reach their parking spot through the crowd and they sat in traffic for another hour and a half, trying to get through the gridlock caused by an accident on the highway. Allen was exhausted and Lavi was getting irritated with the drivers honking at each other.

"Oh for God's sake. Can you believe that guy, Al? Christ!" Lavi stuck his head out the window and shouted in his already hoarse voice, "Learn to drive you fucking MORON!" he received an angry honk for the other driver and Lavi cursed in French, flipping the finger at the man in the red sedan as they finally broke away from the mess of cars and pulled onto a nearly empty street.

"Lavi, can we just get beck to the hotel? I'm exhausted..." Lavi looked at his boyfriend and smiled, patting his knee.

"Sorry love, I know. You're not into the whole giant social gatherings thing with screaming people... thanks for putting up with me." Allen sighed, tilting his head to look Lavi in the eyes.

"Its fine, but don't bring me next time? Unless its real football and not American football. I don't understand that game in the slightest..." Lavi pulled up to their hotel and parked, leaning back against his seat tiredly.

"I'll make it up to you..." Lavi smiled mischievously and Allen rolled his eyes. "But seriously, thank you for coming with me, babe. It wouldn't have been the same. Let's just thank god we're leaving tomorrow, yeah? On to the next city and onto things we both actually want to do, yeah?"

Allen nodded and yawned, getting out of the car and stretching, as he walked up to the hotel room door and unlocked it. "As long as we don't go to any more American football games, and you promise to buy me one of those giant hamburgers I love so much you're forgiven." Lavi chuckled, wrapping his arms around Allen from behind and burying his face into his shoulder.

"You got it, babe. I'll take you to an art gallery or something, okay?" Allen nodded as they stumbled into the dark room together, wanting nothing more than to collapse into the bed with those warm arms encircling him. After a flurry of teeth brushing, changing clothes and rustling blankets they did just that, settling down together under the stiff, slightly scratchy sheets of their cheap hotel room together.

"Good night, Lavi. I love you." Allen mumbled, already dosing off as Lavi snuggled close.

"Love you too, Allen..." Lavi settled against him, their bodies pressing close in a warm embrace in the slightly chilly room.

Smiling softly in the dim light Allen stroked his lover's face, "I'll follow you anywhere, Lavi, even if its unfamiliar to me." Lavi didn't respond, his breathing even and gentle, already deep in sleep. Allen chuckled, draping his arm over Lavi's strong neck and closing his eyes, ready to spend the night in the comfortable hold Lavi had on him. ready to spend his forever walking with the man who had captured his heart.

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End

AN: awww I like this one...its a little short but its sweet and full of goofiness. :) see you all tomorrow!

Thanks to Dhampir72 for her Betaing~