Okay you guys, I am so, so sorry that I took so long to post this. I wanted to get this up a long time ago, but I was having severe writers block with this, so I took a break from it for a while, and I started working on it again, but I still had a bit of block. I finally finished it, but I'm not so sure how I like this chapter.
Anyone who might be reading this who hasn't first read Highschool: Couldn't Come Up With A Better Name, I recommend you read that first. You might not understand what's going on in this fic if you don't.
There is going to be a lot of angst in this story, but I will do the best I can to add some humorous parts.
Okay, now, onto another matter. In 'High school: Couldn't Come Up With A Better Name', I asked for things you guys wanted to see in the sequel, and a lot of you requested lemons. I'm sorry to disappoint anyone who wanted to see them, but I am not going to add them in for these three reasons:
1. I truly believe that it's not something Allen and Lenalee would do before they were married. Allen's too much of a gentleman, and I just don't think that's like Lenalee. Then there's also the fact that Komui would kill Allen if they did do that.
2. I just don't think it would fit into this story very well.
3. I'm a young writer, as in, not even in high school yet, and so that whole process kind of scares me.
I'm sorry again for anyone who wanted to see them, but it's just not something I like to write.
Okay, now finally done with the authors note, now onto the story!
The world outside looked exactly like he felt at the moment; dark and dreary, depressing. His silver eyes had dulled to a gray matching the sky, and he seemed to hold no emotion. But to the familiar eye, that was far from the truth. His tensed shoulders suggested he was stressed, anxious. The faint frown gave the impression he was frustrated. The way his body was hunched over, almost sagging, you could tell he was exhausted.
The sound of his hospital room door opening brought him out of his trance, and he turned around to meet purple eyes with his own. Unlike his, Lenalee's eyes held a wide range of emotions; grief, relief, love. Her black hair, which had been burned part of the way off, had grown to a short bob, and, wet from the rain, stuck to her face.
Not long ago, he had been held hostage by the gang NOAH. When the police had finally found him, he had been damaged. No one knew what had happened to him, and he refused to speak of his experience at their hands. Whatever had happened to him, it wasn't pretty.
After two months, most of his physical injuries had healed. But mentally, he was still a mess… and it showed. He still flinched when someone touched him, even Lenalee, who he no doubt trusted the most. Having admitted their feelings for each other, they were now officially dating. Still, it made her heart ache when he couldn't even touch her without flinching. Sure, after the first contact, he didn't, but it still hurt.
He had nightmares too. There hadn't been a single night of peace for him since he'd been in the hospital. He never talked about it though. He'd just shrug off his friends concern and change the subject.
Everyone from school had heard about what had happened to him, but only his friends knew the truth of his condition. The thought that he might never get better plagued their minds at night, making trying to sleep a wasted effort.
Lenalee walked over to his bed, and sat down on the chair beside it. "Hey Allen." She said, smiling at him.
He smiled back, but it was laced with sorrow. "Hey Lenalee…" he replied, looking away and breaking eye contact. That was another effect of this whole thing, he couldn't look someone in the eyes for more than a couple of minutes anymore.
Lenalee sighed. Every day after school, she came and visited him, and the same thing happened, over and over again. She would walk in, smile at him, and say hey. He would always smile back, and as time grew on, there was less grief in it, but it never disappeared. He'd reply, and look away from her, then she'd ask how he was, and it went from there. It was almost like a practiced routine.
"How are you feeling?" she asked, knowing the answer wouldn't satisfy her. He never talked about how he felt, he kept it all bottled up.
Allen shrugged. "Better, I guess."
She nodded, wishing he would say more, but knowing he wouldn't. The last time she'd pushed at him, he'd shut down. He had stopped responding to anything for almost a week until he'd snapped out of it. She thought he had finally given up, and that scared her. She didn't want that happen again, so she let him be.
Lenalee nodded, and they fell into a silence that was comfortable and awkward at the same time. She averted her gaze to the window, staring at the rain, wishing that for once Allen would just talk.
The silence was broken when the door slammed open and Lavi walked in. Allen winced at the noise, but the usagi didn't seem to notice.
Lavi walked to the bed, and faced Allen and Lenalee with his hands on his hips. "So… how are the two lovebirds today?" he teased
Lenalee blushed. "S-shut up." She said, looking at the wall.
Allen just went back to staring out the window, trying to hide the red that covered his face. Lavi snickered, and sat down beside Lenalee. "So, Allen, I heard the warden's letting you out of this place in a few days." He said
'Warden' was the nickname Lavi had given to the nurse that was always taking care of Allen. She was super strict, and scared the shit out of all of them. If she ever lost her job as a nurse, she could always go guard a prison.
Allen, who had finally managed to get his face back to a normal color, looked right above Lavi's shoulder. "Yeah." He answered softly. Another effect. He couldn't seem to raise his voice louder than just above a whisper. All confidence he had once had was gone, leaving a broken boy stranded in the wreckage.
Lavi sighed, and looked down. He visited as often as possible, but he never seemed to get anywhere with him. Same as Lenalee. It was almost as if all trust he'd had in them was lost. Of course, they knew that wasn't true, but sometimes that's just how it felt.
They sat in silence for a while, until Lavi couldn't take it. "Did you hear what one of the freshman at school did? He'd got mad, and flipped Kanda's tray of soba over. Let's just say… that kid probably had to go to the emergency room."
Lenalee laughed a bit, and Allen smiled. It was a little brighter than before. He always liked to hear about what happened at school.
Cross had gone missing sometime before the NOAH had kidnapped Allen, so now they had to figure out where Allen would go. Lenalee offered that he could stay at her house, but Komui had blatantly refused. Since Lavi had his own apartment, he told Allen he could stay there.
Lavi and Lenalee talked about the events of school for a while until Allen had dosed off. They stayed for a little while longer, before finally deciding to head home.
As she walked out, Lenalee smiled a bit. After Lavi had started talking, Allen had said a lot more than she'd heard from him since he'd been found. As the day had gone on, he'd actually chuckled a few times.
As she watched him, her heart felt a little lighter. Sure, it wasn't much of a difference, but it was still progress, and the most he'd made so far. It meant he was finally opening up around them. It wasn't much, but it was a start.
And for now, that was good enough for her.
Okay, again, I'm so sorry for the long wait. I'm going to do my best to do quick updates, and since it's summer now, I should be able to do that.
Please review, and any ideas you have are welcome. I'll try to fit them in this fic, and if I can't, I'm sorry. I'll probably try to make a one shot about whatever the idea is though.