"You ready for this?" Allen stared Lavi in the face. The seriousness of the question oozing over each word like doom slime in a sewage pipe.

Lavi glared at the glass door and swallowed as beads of sweat formed at his scrunched brow. "No, but there's nowhere to run."

Allen's face softened a little with his eyebrows turning up in the middle, "Are you scared?"

Lavi glanced at him then went back to glaring at the fancy glass doors. The glance was really a short look of: "Really? Oh my gosh, don't ask me that!" But his face, he knew, said it all. He cleared his throat then looked around for those "eavesdroppers from coincidence" and leaned close to Allen's ear. "I'm frickin' terrified."

Allen forced a smile. Lavi hated it.

"It's for your own good, Lavi. You were going to have to face it sooner or later."

"I already know that," Lavi clenched his teeth and his fist, "instead of reminding me of that horrible fact, how about you remind me of how brave it is of me to face this…half willingly."

Allen stared for a moment before nodding, "You've got balls for coming this far without me dragging you, Lavi. You're awesome."

Crying crossed Lavi's mind, "Thanks Allen, you're awesome too. You're the greatest friend a coward like me could ever ask for."

"You're not a coward, Lavi!" Allen's voice took on a "leader-of-war-pep-speech" tone. "Honestly, it's very courageous that you walked here on your own! Not many people can say they've done that in your situation!"

"But you had to drive!" Lavi dropped his head on Allen's shoulder.

"Ow! Lavi!" Allen pushed at the pathetic red bushel; now on the brink of giving up. He'd been whining about it for a whole week and now he's throwing out the grand finale for the last fourteen hours. "I'm saying this is natural for everyone! Anybody would be terrified about getting wisdom teeth pulled as bad as yours!"

"I hate you, Allen!" Lavi sunk his head deeper in his shoulder, "you said the forbidden dirty words again!"

"Ouch, come on, Lavi." Allen grimaced and grabbed the door handle. He did NOT spend the last half hour getting Lavi to the front steps for nothing. He would walk in with Lavi dragging behind him if it would come to it. Allen pulled at the door at the same time Lavi raised his head. They stood a little close, Allen noticed but Lavi didn't in time.

A thunk caused a yowl before the hands flew to his forehead and impressing the pacing circles of pain.

Allen watched hopelessly and let Lavi make a couple of circles before grabbing a wrist. "Come here, your dramatic-ness, let me see."

Lavi groaned as he lifted his hand; pushing his bangs up out of the way.

"Wow," Allen nodded sarcastically this time, "you really can take a beating from a door. A goose-egg serves as a great memorabilia against such a pitiful encounter. Remind me to give you a purple bleeding heart when we get back to the dorm room."

Lavi glared, "Maybe the surgery would serve you better than me."

"I'm not the one with rebellious wisdom teeth, Lavi." Allen made a huge lip smile to cover his worn patience.

Lavi peered into his eyes like a stray dog on your porch in the pouring rain. Allen groaned and fought to resist. What was it about that stupid green eye that resurrected every virtue he thought had died? Suddenly, he wasn't mad or impatient anymore. How could he be?

Allen let out a surrendering, empathetic sigh, "You suck, dang-it."

"Using my nick-name at a time like this?" Lavi slumped.

"Shut up, dang-it." Allen huffed, "Okay, here's the deal. You go in there like a man, you face the appointment like a man and I'll dessert you like little Jimmy who won the Little Leagues."

"Really?" Lavi looked pathetically hopeful at his soft friend.

"Truly," Allen smiled.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Allen?"

"I'm right here, buddy." He patted his roommate's arm as he lay there waking up for the first time after the surgery.

"Home, take me home."

"We will as soon as you can walk." Allen smiled. "How's your mouth?"

"I can't feel it." Lavi's eye wandered to him as he drooled; spit as well as some blood. "But I think it's hurting."

Allen tried to not look grossed out, "Don't worry, we'll have some pain killers for you."

Lavi was asleep.

Allen glanced at his watch; 3:30. He hadn't shopped for food yet but he couldn't leave Lavi at home. He sighed, he would have to take sand-bag Lavi with him.

/\/\/\/\

Allen put every pound of weight into turning the heavy cart into the soup isle. The wheels moaned and skipped angrily before they somewhat obeyed. Allen smothered a war cry before lifting the handle end to straighten out. "Phew," He slumped over the handle for a breath.

Lavi tipped his head back, still holding a couple of five gallon buckets of ice cream to his face. "Why…don't you get a four wheeler…to pull for a while?"

"That would be nice," Allen sort of laughed and stood up. What made the cart so heavy again? Right. The several gallons of ice cream, couple bags of rice and frozen veggies, a few cans of Minute Maid juice, two bags of ice, and a 150 pound Lavi bundled like burrito filling in a 20 pound trench coat. Great Buddha…

"Allennnn," Lavi drawled. He had begun most of his sentences that way since the drug allowed him to be conscious. "I want Coca-Puffs."

"We're in the soup isle, Lavi. Plus, solids will hurt for a while until your mouth heals."

"Dad-gum-mit Allen, then wheel me to the Coca-Puffs!" Spit flew from his mouth with the five gallons pushing his lips back.

Allen wiped under his right eye, "No way, I'm in the soup isle and I'm going to get you soup."

Lavi brought his head up, looked from one side of the isle to the other before setting the gallons of ice creams down and pointing ahead. "Coca-Puffs! I'll suck on them if I have to!"

"The fresh vegetables are that way, Lavi." Allen sighed.

"Allennnn," Lavi hummed again, "I have to talk to the watermelon."

All his friend could do in response was blink stupidly until his brain decided to sort the craziness that had been said. "Okay, for one, watermelon isn't in season…not for a few months. And two…." Brain-fart "…I spent a ton of effort to get to the soup isle and therefore I'm not going anywhere." Allen immediately pretended to be interested in something else to recover his cool. That was the lame-est thing he'd said…and arguing with his drugged up roommate nonetheless. Maybe all the times Lavi had breathed in his face while tucking him in the cart, some side effects were inhaled and getting to his brain. This had better wear off fast.

"Allennnn,"

He grudgingly slid his eyes to their corners; unwilling to give too much attention to the temporary airhead.

"I can't feel my legs."

Allen glanced at the front of the cart where Lavi's legs were bent to keep him sitting up. "Can you hold out a little longer? We're going to check out soon."

Lavi's green eye stared innocently up at him.

Apparently not.

Allen looked around first before walking around. He'd gotten the craziest looks out in the parking lot putting Lavi in the cart. He almost felt like they were looking at him like they would with a predator who had the nerve to haul a body out of the car in public. He didn't want an unbearable repeat. Allen pushed aside the cans and the bags and the cans again just to find his feet. He found them then grabbed his ankles and pulled. Nothing. Of course, Lavi had to pick today to wear the fattest boots in his closet. A bit peeved, Allen tried again, with more strength this time. They were lifting but it caused Lavi to fold like an accordion.

"Uuuggghhh…" Lavi grunted and giggled.

Allen looked around again; fearing the faces that just walked in. No one, thank Heaven. Honestly, Allen was stressed and a little more than annoyed. He didn't want to be seen doing weird things but he wanted to be sure that Lavi was comfortable so he'd shut up as he finished the shopping. This was really more stressful than it EVER needed to be; all because of suddenly-dependant-Lavi.

Allen glanced around one more time before pulling again. Maybe if he moved his boots side to side, it would wedge them out. Allen went for it. It was working! They were getting farther and farther.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa…" Lavi sang as he chuckled. He was swaying with the movement as beads of sweat formed on Allen's forehead.

Allen put a little more anger into it; it wasn't going fast enough.

"Weeeeee!" Lavi cheered just before the cart tipped on its side.

A loud crash could be heard everywhere as the gallons of ice cream attempted to roll away and take their can-babies with them.

Allen looked up again as Lavi groaned disoriented on the floor. Crap, there were people peering in from the isles next to him! Freaking out!

"Uh," Allen started and looked down at Lavi like he didn't notice the audience, "quit fooling around, Lavi. Geez…"

"Wha'd I do? I don't remember…"

Allen hid his red face behind his hair as gathered all their things. As he reached for one can in the main isle, a foot displaying a thin boot stopped him. Allen knew these shoes. He would never admit that he wanted the same boots because they belonged to that high-and-mighty Kanda.

"I see where your loyalties lie," He folded his arms and he glared down at the white-haired -no body.

"And I see what century of time you came from;" Allen smirked, "The Feudal era, right? Why didn't you stay there?"

"Shut it, bean sprout." Kanda shoved the can and it viciously rolled over Allen's planted hand. "I'm trying to point out the village idiot you're babysitting…"

Allen stopped shaking his hand and tried to cover the worry that ran down his spine.

Kanda nodded behind him, "He's crawling away."

Allen whipped around and sure enough, Lavi was crawling slowly to the vegetables and fruit…where the watermelons would be. "Lavi!"