Author's note: I actually started writing this a few months back, but ended up putting it, half-finished at the time, on the back burner so that I could work on C'est la Vie. Then, around the beginning of February, it dawned on me that Lenalee's birthday is February 20th, so I decided to try and get this written and posted no later than the 28th. Unfortunately, I ended up waylaid by a nasty upper respiratory infection, and had to postpone it. Also, it underwent a complete rewrite after my beta, Chelsea Womberly (who has been gracious enough to proofread for me, even though she doesn't know the first thing about DGM), told me the original version had a lot of unnecessary detail.

This version has not been beta'd, as Chelsea is having some medical issues. If you have some healing energy to spare, please send it her way.

Keepsake

It was late when Lenalee finished serving her brother and the rest of his team their last pot of coffee. Aside from the Science Division and a few stragglers, everyone was either asleep, or in their rooms, which is exactly why she nearly jumped out of her skin when she ran into him, the empty tray she was carrying sent clattering to the floor. She paled, quickly looking away as she started to kneel down and retrieve the object. "Allen…"

He picked up the tray first, then offered her his free hand and smiled softly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

Her pulse quickened as he helped her to her feet, but she managed to steel herself. "I'm surprised you're still up."

He nodded, somewhat preoccupied. "Actually, I was looking for you. We've barely seen each other lately, and I was hoping we could talk."

She faltered for an instant, trying to formulate an acceptable excuse. "I…I can't right now. I was just about to make some more coffee for my brother. She laughed nervously. "You know Komui. He can never have too much caffeine!"

The silver-eyed boy's smile widened just a bit. "You're such an enabler, Lenalee."

She huffed. "I suppose I am, but it's better than listening to him whine about how mean I am." Turning slightly, she tried her best to fake a yawn. "Actually, it's been a long day and I'm pretty tired. How about tomorrow?"

Just as she turned to leave, he caught her hand. "Please?"

She swallowed against the burning tightness in her throat and turned to face him with a forced smile. "Okay, just let me clear the dishes, first. It won't take long."

He nodded. "I'll be outside in the courtyard, then."

:::

As one would expect of early-March weather, it was sufficiently cold. Allen didn't particularly mind the cold, though. In fact, he tended to enjoy it, as it helped him to clear his head when things weren't going well, which, unfortunately, was more often than he cared to admit. In his experience, though – which was oddly extensive compared to the majority of boys his age, mostly thanks to his wayward mentor – girls didn't like the cold, so he was surprised to see Lenalee enter the courtyard without a coat. He stood to meet her, immediately taking off his own coat and wrapping it around her.

She tensed, the butterflies in her stomach fluttering as if caught in a windstorm. "You don't have to do that. I'm fine. Really." She followed him to the bench where he had been waiting and sat down.

Allen chuckled softly. "I really don't want your brother blaming me if you catch a cold." He smirked, his voice reflecting a hint of sarcasm. "What would he do if you were too sick to make his coffee?"

Feeling her tension subside, she giggled as well. He had always been good at that; making others feel at ease, even if he wasn't. "I'm pretty sure he'd survive."

Allen raised an eyebrow and grinned. "I'm not so sure about that."

For a few minutes, they sat in a relatively comfortable silence. Allen wasn't exactly sure what had brought them to this point, but as much as he wanted – needed to know why she had been avoiding him, he wasn't about to force her to tell him. After all, just getting her out here was hard enough, so he let her pick the next topic of conversation. Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long.

She pulled his coat around her a little more tightly, silently resisting the temptation to sink down inside it and drown in his scent. "So, how was Saudi Arabia?"

Allen shrugged. "Oh you know, hot, dry. Lots of sand."

Lenalee nodded and laughed quietly. "I heard you kept missing your contact."

"Yeah. The whole thing was pretty tedious, but it worked out." He sighed, letting his head rest against the back of the bench. "If I never see another sand dune in my life, it'll be too soon."

She laughed again, this time a little bit louder. "How's your arm?"

"A little strained, but fine otherwise."

She gave him a stern look. "You know that all I have to do is ask my brother or Hevlaska if you're telling the truth, right?"

Allen grinned sheepishly and scratched his upper lip, as he tended to do when nervous. "I'm fine, Lenalee, honest. Besides, I know better than to lie to you."

She nodded, content to take his word for it this time, and turned her attention to the Koi pond only a few feet away. "I'm glad you made it back safely." She paused, trying her best to keep a casual tone. "So, what was it you wanted to talk about?"

Allen turned his gaze skyward for a few seconds and then back to her, the tone in his voice much more somber and uncertain "Have I…have I done something to upset you?"

She shook her head. "No, why do you ask?"

"Because it seems like you've been going out of your way to avoid me."

She turned her attention back to the pond, her pitch falling quiet once again. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

Simply letting the words form in her mind made her feel like a vapid debutante. "Do you think I'm pretty?" She didn't think it was possible, but she was even more mortified after speaking them.

Allen's eyes widened. Just before he had left on his latest mission, Lavi had not-so-subtly mentioned a very possible reason for Lenalee's recently odd behavior, but he'd insisted the older boy was out of his mind. Still, her question caught him so off-guard that he didn't readily know how to respond. "I…"

Quickly turning away, she stood and waved a hand dismissively. "Never mind. Just pretend I didn't ask."

"Why…why in the world would you ask me something like that?"

Lenalee shook her head, still hoping he would do as she requested, though knowing better. She took the few steps to the pond, her amethyst eyes following the sluggish movement of the tri-colored fish. "It's stupid. Let's just-"

Before she could finish, his tendency to be impetuous took over. "I like you, too."

Stunned, she turned to him, nearly failing to squeak out a reply. "What?"

Allen took the few steps to stand beside her and smiled with amusement. "I. Like. You. Too."

She begrudgingly let a few tears escape her eyes. "Quit kidding around, Allen."

He reached out, gently wiping the salty drops from her cheeks and then took her hand in his. "I'm not."

Despite his efforts, she remained pensive. "Really?"

He squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Really. I wasn't planning to say anything unless you did, but then Lavi mentioned-"

She paled as if all of her blood had suddenly left her body, and her eyes widened. "Lavi knows?!"

Allen couldn't help but laugh. "Calm down, okay? You're scaring the fish! For the record, I told him he was crazy, so don't worry."

When she had first met him, she knew he was special, but she never truly imagined how special he would become to her. She scolded herself mentally for questioning his sincerity, if only briefly. "But we can't… I mean, I'm sure there's some kind of rule against workplace romance."

"No one has to know, at least not right away." Offhandedly, he pondered the words 'workplace romance' and how they didn't technically seem to fit the situation. The semantics weren't relative at that moment, though, and he refocused on the issue at hand.

Lenalee nodded, laughing just a bit. "That's probably for the best at this point. Just thinking about my brother's reaction makes me worry for your safety."

Allen grinned. "I say we wait to tell him until we're honeymooning in some far-off country, preferably one that's difficult to get to."

Lenalee blushed and held up her free hand defensively. "One thing at a time, okay?"

Allen blushed as well when he realized they were focused on two completely different aspects of the same topic. "Right, so...we should probably go back before someone notices we're not in our rooms."

She nodded and then gasped. "Oh! I completely forgot that I'm wearing your coat!"

:::

Back inside, Allen was about to leave Lenalee at her room when he remembered the other reason he had gone looking for her in the first place. He turned, catching her before she closed her door. "May I come in?" Noting her hesitation, he held up a gloved hand. "Completely innocent, I swear."

She opened the door a little wider, granting his request. "Don't you have to leave for Lithuania in a few hours?"

"Not for another two days." He took a small box from his coat pocket, and then handed it to her. "I'm sorry I couldn't be here for your birthday."

Lenalee glanced down at the little box, then to Allen and then back to the box. "For me…?"

The silver-eyed boy nodded, if a bit shyly. "It reminded me of you as soon as I saw it."

She carefully took the box, walked to her bed and sat down while Allen closed the door, its latch quietly clicking into place. Gently removing the thin, purple ribbon and lifting the lid, she took a small, delicate spun glass butterfly figurine resting on a mirror base from within. Her fingertips traced the edges of the iridescent trinket for a few seconds before she looked up and smiled, a hint of pink coloring her cheeks. "You shouldn't have…It's lovely. Thank you so much!" Beaming, she set the glass piece back in its box with the lid open, and the box in one of the unoccupied cubbies of her headboard. "There, it's perfect. I love it."

Allen sat down on the bed next to her. "I'm still curious about why you asked me that question, though."

"What que- Oh…" Apprehensive, she sighed, resigning herself to a full explanation. "Do you remember when I went into the city a few months ago?"

Allen nodded. "When you bought that dress you say you'll never get a chance to wear?"

Lenalee laughed, her eyes lighting up like gemstones despite the dim lighting of her room. "I can't believe you remember me saying that!" She paused. It wasn't too long ago that she'd lamented to herself about how her male counterparts seemed to have selective hearing more often than not. "Anyway, I was having lunch at one of the cafés when this young couple sat down a few tables away. They seemed so happy and," she took in a breath, "well, it wasn't long before I started imagining what it would be like."

Suddenly, Allen was lost. There were plenty of seemingly unimportant things he could easily recall about people, but he felt like he was trying to decode a secret message. "What what would be like?"

Lenalee looked at him with a solemn expression. "To be normal – to go to a normal school, gossip with friends. Have a boyfriend." She paused, the blush returning to her cheeks when Allen laced his fingers through hers. "Does that sound strange?"

He pondered her question for a moment. "Not really, except for the fact you would choose me as a suitor."

She blinked in surprise. "Why wouldn't I?"

He could have answered, but decided to let it go. Instead, he turned to face her. "About what you asked me earlier..." Leaning in, he and placed a soft, sweet kiss on her cheek. "I think you're beautiful."

She tucked her head under his chin, suddenly aware of how much taller he had become in only a few short weeks. "So are you."

The teens remained like that for several more minutes before reluctantly separating, Lenalee falling in step beside Allen as he walked to the door. He took the opportunity to steal one last kiss before leaving. "Sleep well."

Lenalee nodded, a new light sparkling in her eyes. "You too."

So, characterization-wise, this was tough, as Lenalee isn't the most well-rounded in canon. As unshakable as she is, I wanted to portray her as a bit more vulnerable than most people make her, in the sense that she's really just a normal girl living an extraordinary life. And the same goes for Allen. I kept wondering if he really would want things out in the open like this, or not. However, I didn't (and still don't) want this to be a full-blown WIP, so in my mind, whatever was going on with her was really starting to get to him, hence him actively seeking her out rather than letting things resolve on their own.

I hope you enjoyed reading! :)