Round three has arrived. I wrote and rewrote this chapter a few times but decided it's way too early in this story to be stuck. I'm not totally pleased with it, but it's done. R&R! And enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own D. Gray Man

Watching Tyki in the garden was like watching a completely different man. Lenalee marveled at the way he changed. He had grown quiet, almost contemplative as he smoked cigarette after cigarette in the brisk night air.

It was dark outside, especially compared to the brilliance of the ball just moments ago. Lenalee sat on a bench in the gardens while Tyki stood a few feet away. The moon was covered by clouds and only small lanterns along the stone pathways lit the area. They cast strange shadows across the courtyard.

The cigarette in Tyki's mouth glowed orange through the smokey air around him. This man seemed shrouded by the very air around him, but she felt she was seeing a more honest representation of him than before. He looked far more himself now than he did when he chased after her inside. But she really couldn't be sure, could she? Just how well could she claim to know a man she had only met moments ago?

"Enjoying the view?" He asked, pulling Lenalee from her contemplation. She jumped and looked away quickly, embarrassed that she had been caught staring.

"Don't the men usually got to the lounge to smoke?" She asked.

Tyki cleared his throat. "Yes, well, my brother has forbidden me to go there. He claims I have a gambling problem."

"You disagree?"

"It's only a problem if I loose. Which I don't."

Lenalee couldn't help her giggle. He sounded so much like Allen. The two of them would probably enjoy trying to cheat each other out of their money.

"So what do you do for a living?" Lenalee asked. "If you're not a fan of your brother's lifestyle, I'm assuming you're not a politician."

Tyki was silent a moment. Lenalee wondered if he planned to simply not answer. When he did, she wasn't sure she believed him. "I'm a migrant worker. Laborer. Right now I live in a one bedroom house with three roommates. We work in a nearby mine."

Lenalee could find no lie in his voice or his face. "By choice?"

Tyki let out a cold sort of chuckle. "Yes."

Lenalee smiled at him as she crossed her arms. "I was right about you being ridiculous."

"What about you?" He asked. He finished off his cigarette and stamped it out on the ground. "You don't act like a professional aristocrat."

"I'm not." Lenalee had no intention of telling him she was an exorcist. Tonight, she was just Lenalee. Just this once.

He seemed amused by her refusal to answer. "Well, how did you get invited to my brother's party if you only just met him?"

"We're business associates."

Tyki stepped closer, a smile on his lips. It was a dark looking thing, but Lenalee told herself it was just the lighting.

"Is there a question I could ask that would get me a straight answer?" He asked.

"Maybe," Lenalee answered with a coy smile.

She really didn't know what had gotten into her. Flirting had never been an activity she had a chance to participate in. Most of the males she encountered worked for her brother, which meant they were putting their lives at risk for even looking at her the wrong way.

Was flirting always this fun?

"Alright, here's a question for you," Tyki started. He sat down on the bench and crossed his legs. "My brother had me dance with every available and socially acceptable woman at this party. Why didn't he have me dance with you?"

Lenalee's smile widened as the most likely answer popped into her head. "Probably because he knows my brother."

"You have a brother?"

"Yes."

"And why would that keep you off the market?"

Lenalee let out a sigh. "My brother is a bit... over protective. He's gone on homicidal rages before just because someone joked about liking me. If your brother tried to set me up with someone, my brother would probably try to kill him."

"I would like to see him try. So, tell me about this brother of yours. You're close?"

"Very." Lenalee felt herself relax into a comfortable conversation at last. She had no qualms talking about her brother and how much she loved him, despite how annoying he could be.

"You're brother sounds terrifyingly similar to mine," Tyki said. "He's far too invested in my life, very touchy-feely. More than a bit sadistic."

"We should lock them in a room together," Lenalee suggested. "See what happens."

"I fear for the fate of the planet if they make friends with one another."

"Oh, all I would have to do is tell brother that the minister tried to grope me or something. Their friendship would crumble to pieces instantly."

The two of them shared a laugh. A soft kind of silence fell over them, and Lenalee didn't want it to break. She looked down as she realized he was holding her hand. When had that happened?

A breeze came through the courtyard and Lenalee also realized that the warm buzz she had gained from the alcohol was wearing off. How long had they been out here? She leaned into Tyki, telling herself it was just because he was warm. She knew it was a feeble lie, at best.

"We could go back inside if your cold," he said, though he didn't sound like he was a fan of the idea.

"There are people inside," Lenalee said.

He chuckled at her. "Yes, that's a true statement."

"I like it better out here."

Tyki slowly put his arm around her, a tentative and questioning look in his eyes as he did so.

"I'm not going to break your arm off," Lenalee told him with a giggle.

"Well, I can never know for sure. That poor old man is probably going to have to amputate his foot after you stomped on it."

Lenalee hid her face in her hands. "I really shouldn't have done that. But he did deserve it." She shot yo to give him a determine look.

"I'm just picking on you, you know," he said. "I don't think you're actually capable of intentionally hurting someone. You and your optimism. You're all rainbows and sunshine."

"You have no idea..." Lenalee traced circles on the back of the hand that held hers. His hands were rougher than she expected, a testament to the truth of his profession. These were definitely a miner's hands. "Do you read, Tyki?"

"I use to."

"You stopped?"

"This reality became a bit too much for me. I don't have time for other ones anymore."

"The busy life of a miner?" Lenalee put aside her curiosity of what exactly he meant about his reality. She got the feeling he didn't want to talk about it. What right did she had to press him on the matter when she refused to even tell him what she did for a living? "What did you like to read?"

"I'm a fan of Shakespeare's tragedies."

Lenalee laughed at that. "Of course you are. The rebellious bachelor playboy with commitment issues and a depressing world view likes plays where everyone dies in the end. Who would have guessed it?"

"I'm sensing a very hostile environment, here," Tyki joked. "And when did I get labeled as a rebellious bachelor playboy with commitment issues?"

Lenalee ignored his complaint. "What's your favorite play?"

"Hamlet."

"To be or not to be," Lenalee recited with a content smile. "I do love the word play in Hamlet. Still, not a fan of the way everyone dies at the end."

"What are men like I to do, crawling between heaven and earth?" Tyki quoted.

Lenalee rested her head on his shoulder. "That's one of my favorite lines, you know."

"I find that surprising," Tyki admitted.

"Maybe not as rainbow and sunshine filled as you think," Lenalee contested. "What's your least favorite Shakespeare play?"

Tyki was quick to answer. "Romeo and Juliet."

"Why am I not surprised?" Lenalee shook her head at him.

"The play is a joke. Romeo and Juliet weren't in love. They were young and stupid, and people died because of it. It's more a comedy than a tragedy."

"Hmm. Interesting perspective."

"Don't tell me you believe in love at first sight." She could hear the implied eye roll.

Lenalee thought it over. "No," she agreed. "No, I guess not. But I like to think that when you meet the right person, at some point it all just clicks. And you know that's the person you're supposed to fall in love with. It's a nice idea."

"It's a fairy tale."

"Well, we can't all be cynics," Lenalee insisted. "Someone has to believe in love."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

"Cynic."

"Dreamer."

Lenalee closed her eyes, snuggling a little closer to him.

She was perfect. Tyki rolled the thought around in his head as they talked. She was absolutely perfect.

How was that possible?

She was smart and funny and beautiful and refused to let any of his usual crap slide. She asked hard questions, too. She wasn't afraid of them, or him. She was just... herself.

Lenalee.

As the conversation lulled into a comfortable silence, Tyki came to a startling realization. He had stopped trying to seduce her. They had been outside for nearly two hours now and he didn't even care that she would refuse him. He was...

Holy crap. He was hooked. How had that happened? How had any of this happened? It didn't make any sense. But one thing was clear. He couldn't let tonight be goodbye.

"Are you going home tomorrow?" He asked.

"Yes. I have to get back to work."

"Can I write you?" What was he doing? Tyki Mikk doesn't write people. He doesn't even write his brother!

"I would love that."

He tried not to match her smile but found it impossible. His face moved steadily closer to hers before he stopped abruptly. Would she let him kiss her? He really didn't feel like getting slapped...

"Are you going to kiss me?" She asked, her voice soft and timid.

So much for being smooth. He swallowed over the lump that was beginning to form in his throat. Why was he nervous? He'd kissed dozens of women. Why did this feel different?

"Are you going to let me?" he asked.

"Maybe."

Whatever reserve he had held back was let loose. Who cared what Tyki Mikk would usually do? This girl was different and there was no point in wondering why. She just was. She deserved better than his usual. And she was going to get it.

He leaned in and gently pressed his lips to hers in the most chaste kiss he could ever remember having. His hands floated up to hold her face.

It was over entirely too fast.

His lips continued to hover over hers as he debated kissing her a second time.

"That was my first kiss," Lenalee breathed out.

He would have laughed if she didn't say it with such sincerity. "How can someone as gorgeous as you go this long without being kissed?"

"Remember the over protective brother?"

"If a man is cowardly enough to let that stop him, he doesn't deserve to kiss you."

"You haven't met my brother."

Tyki finally kissed her again. "Maybe we should fix that."

He knew what he was saying. He knew the implications. He just couldn't help it. He wanted to see her again. He wanted to talk to her. To be with her. She was something precious.

One day he would have to learn to stop acting on his emotions.

"You..." she seemed as surprised by his statement as he was.

He opened his mouth to say something else, unsure of what exactly was going to come out, when he was interrupted. The explosion seemed to come out of nowhere, but Tyki's reflexes were quick. He pulled Lenalee off the bench as it splintered into pieces.

Lenalee and Tyki both spun around to face the new threat. Akuma. How was that possible?

"Leave!" Tyki ordered the killing machines. Was this his brother's doing? Akuma knew better than to attack this place. What was Sheryl planning?

Tyki turned around, opening his mouth to ask Lenalee if she was okay. He never got the words out, though. He was too busy staring at a familiar green glow that emanated from her feet.

Innocence.

Anger bubbled up inside him from a place that wasn't fully himself. He knew that if he let it grow he would do things he'd regret later. Now wasn't the time to be a Noah. He didn't want to hate her. He didn't want to fight.

"Noah." The accusation slipped out of her throat as she took a step back.

She was prepared for an attack.

Tyki clenched his hands into tight fists. He needed to calm down. But the look of hurt and fear on her face nearly crushed his resolve. It was too easy to bury himself in this hate. He didn't understand the other feelings, the pain in his chest and the sinking sensation dragging him down. Anger was at least familiar.

"Get out," he snarled at her. Please, he added in his thoughts. He didn't want to fight her. Not right now. He knew it was inevitable, but his mind was still reeling from the revelation.

Why wasn't she leaving?

"Go!" He yelled.

The girl flinched back, and the action seemed to shake her from her terror. She leapt into the air, landing on the roof and running off after the akuma he had sent away.

Tyki stared at the now empty space. What was he supposed to do now?

It all made sense, really. The night had gone too well. She was too perfect. He had been too happy.

Nothing in his life ever came together so well. There was always something. Some little thing had to be wrong. At least now he knew.

She was an exorcist.

Tyki's attention was brought back to the pain in his chest. He didn't know what it meant, but he knew what had caused it. The perfect girl wasn't perfect. She was an exorcist.

The truth if it took some getting use to. How could he not have seen it? How could he have been so stupid?

He stumbled over to the doors that led back to the ball. He couldn't seem to force himself back to the crowds, though.

Why did she have to be an exorcist? He could handle anything but this. He could work around a husband or an over protective brother or a secret job. But there would be no sneaking around with an exorcist. If the Noah inside him didn't take over and destroy her innocence, the Earl would eventually find out and order him to do it anyway.

This situation was a dead end.

Tyki wanted to punch something when he realized that at some point he had started thinking of Lenalee as some integral part of his future. It shouldn't matter that she was an exorcist. He had only meant to spend one night with her. Where exactly had he been wanting their relationship to go?

Tyki moved away from the door. He needed a better distraction than the ball would provide. And he needed more alcohol. But first, he needed to talk to Sheryl. Alone. Maybe things would make more sense if he knew why there were exorcists and akuma invited to this little party.

Much to Tyki's surprise, Sheryl's office was not empty. He heard the argument from down the hall, and began to second guess his decision to come and talk.

Road and Sheryl weren't pleasant when they fought. It was a rare occurrence, as Sheryl tended to melt the second Road looked at him with puppy dog eyes. Apparently he wasn't bending this time, though.

By the time Tyki made it to the office door it was opening. Road barely even acknowledged his presence as she pushed by him to storm down the hallway. It never got old, seeing the first Noah throwing childish temper tantrums.

Tyki cautiously stepped into the office. Sheryl sat at his desk, looking as if nothing had been happening, a drink in his hand. Tyki knew better than that, though. Sheryl only ever looked this serious when he was working or upset.

"Everything alright?" Tyki asked against his better judgement.

"Allen Walker needs to die."

That name sounded familiar. "The cursed exorcist Road's obsessed with?"

Sheryl's grunt of acknowledgement was enough for Tyki to put the pieces together. The exorcists. The akuma. Road's tantrum.

"You invited him here so you could kill him?" Tyki asked, already knowing the answer. This whole ordeal could have been avoided if Sheryl had just told him. He never would have let his mind wander as far as it had with he girl if he had known from the beginning who she was.

"I underestimated him."

Tyki smirked, despite himself. It wasn't often Sheryl was bested. Of course, if he hadn't been worried about drawing attention from the ball Sheryl most likely would have succeeded in killing the boy. Still, Tyki would tuck this away in his memory to torment his brother with later.

"Goodnight, Sheryl," Tyki said, waving over his shoulder as he left. His questions had been answered. There was no need to stick around and listen to Sheryl plot Allen Walker's murder. Though, Tyki did feel a bit sorry for the poor kid.

"Wait!" Sheryl perked up. "Did you find yourself a girl tonight?"

"No one you would approve of," Tyki answered honestly, still walking away.

"Tyki." The tone made him stop. There were not many things that truly frightened Tyki, but his brother could summon the emotion when he truly wanted to.

"I went out of my way to make sure there wasn't even a chance of you getting into trouble tonight. Please tell me you didn't disgrace any of the very respectable women that were-"

"I didn't have sex with anyone," Tyki answered lazily. "Alright?"

"You disappeared, though."

"I went out for a smoke," he said. "Didn't feel the need to come back in."

"You're hiding something." Sheryl broke into a bone chilling grin. "There was a girl, wasn't there?" Sheryl took Tyki's silence as confirmation. "Tyki's finally found a girl!"

Tyki stuck a hand out before Sheryl could murder him with a hug. There was no point in keeping secrets now, he supposed. Sheryl would never let the subject go unless he was told something.

"Don't get too excited, Sheryl. It's not going to go anywhere."

"Do you ever stop mopping? Cheer up, Tyki! Tell me about this girl you apparently don't hate. Honestly, I was beginning to give up hope. Road has been telling me for months that you're gay-"

"She what?" Tyki glared at his brother. He let out a frustrated sigh, shaking away thoughts of a conversation he now needed to have with his niece. Gay! "Never mind. And I'm not moping." Tyki knew it was a lie. The tight knot that had made its way into his chest since he found out about Lenalee was proof enough. He felt an abundance of self pity.

"Tell me about the girl!"

Tyki took a deep breath. Might as well start with the worst of it. "She's an exorcist."

Tyki would have laughed at the look of disbelief on Sheryl's face, if it weren't like a knife to the gut. He had never had any sort of real feelings for a girl. And now this. The first time he actually has an interest, and its with an exorcist.

"The one Allen came with?"

"Yes," Tyki admitted. "Lenalee..."

"Well..." At a loss for the words, Sheryl walked back to his desk and sat down. A few seconds of silence passed and he pulled out a second glass from his desk. "You need a drink," he decided, filling the glass to the brim.

Tyki gave a humorless smile and sat down across from his brother, the glass in hand.

"Why her?" Sheryl asked. "All the women I've presented you with over the years. Why now?"

Tyki stared at the amber liquid in front of him. "She was interesting," Tyki answered. "There was just... something there."

"There are plenty of interesting women out there," Sheryl insisted. "Ones that won't try to kill you in battle."

"It was more than that," Tyki continued. "When we started talking, it was like... do you remember that place we use to go when we were kids? The stream down in the woods, where we would hang out?"

"That was a very long time ago, Tyki."

"Well, it felt like that," Tyki said. "Like nothing else existed for a little bit, and it didn't matter."

"Until she finds out who you are and tried to kill you."

"She already knows. She ran off after that... Maybe I'm just a masochist."

"We already knew that about you."

Silence fell over them again.

"Tyki. You're not planning on seeing her again, are you?"

Tyki emptied his glass in one go. He slapped it down on the desk and motioned for more.

Sheryl began to fill the glass again, a rare kind of worry in his eyes.

"Tyki?"