the49thname:

despite how differently link and lavi present themselves in terms of outward personality, they really are similar in a lot of ways. they’re duty-bound, kinda cynical, afraid of change, skeptical of others and naturally distrustful. but allen’s proved them both wrong, made them realise that there are people who are more than they seem, who are kind and hopeful and supportive and generous.

i feel like they’re either going to abandon their duty or change what it means to be a crow / bookman, depending on circumstance.

i’m leaning towards lavi abandoning being a bookman, primarily because of things outside of his control (becoming a crystal type user, potentially being the heart’s accommodator), but also because i think deep down it was never a choice for him, and i think he resents bookman for placing him on this path when he was too young to make such a life-altering decision, even if he probably is also thankful for being given a purpose and for being taken care of when he had no-one else.

and with link, it’s a tough one. he could abandon his duty towards lvellie + the order – and therefore neah as well (unless he chooses to aid neah of his own volition) – or work around his duty to protect and support allen as much as he can while still, technically, doing his job as the 14th’s ally. but i think, in the end, link (and lavi too) are gonna have to realise they either are or aren’t willing to interfere for the sake of allen and their own feelings towards him. they can’t keep one foot in and one foot out, so to speak.

when it comes to allen’s feelings, i think he’d be bitter about it though. if he ever found out lavi was close to him technically just because it was his job as a bookman to do so (though lavi at this point is also close to him because he cares about allen and is in a bit too deep with his role as an exorcist), and also if he found out link was there to support neah and that allen technically no longer mattered, i think he’d definitely be bitter and upset about being abandoned or lied to like that. but he wouldn’t tell them, not unless he had no other choice or was in a bad state mentally. as you said, he thinks very little of himself. he would never want lavi or link to abandon their duties or forsake their futures just for allen, nor would he want them to be close to him just for his own comfort or happiness. he will keep smiling and pretending it doesn’t matter even if it hurts, and that makes me unbearably sad.