Allen didn't breathe, didn't dare to. Right now, at the current moment, all he want is to melt into the red leather seat and fade away into nothingness. He didn't touch his plate, or he doesn't need to anymore since his meal had long since finish and it was rude to leave early while the others are still eating. Well according to the Earl that is. Plus, they were still waiting for someone, a certain someone that he doesn't want to meet. Namely a certain Noah of Destruction.
The family members of the Noah clan were eating calmly, a few foodwars was ensured but it quiet down after the first hour. He doesn't understand how can people eat this long, but then again they weren't your normal people either.
Allen stares at the clock. Watching as the hands move in accordance to time, the sense of dread increasing each second. After all, sooner or later the door's gonna open and in came Neah, the dreaded one.
Did Allen told you he wants to disappear?
Allen glanced at the family member, observing what they are currently doing. Hope swells in his chest seeing as how most of them are almost finish and he was sure that they can't add another serving. This was the fifth after all as they wait for the presence of their last family member. Right, the Earl will call a day and send everyone back to their room, and hopefully, he realise how stupid dinner is and just let his family be and-
The door swung open. Allen stomach lurches.
He closed his eyes for a brief moment, praying for the best, and trying to take a short nap while he's at it so that maybe this is all a dream. The footsteps makes him anxious and there's no way he could sleep with his body producing hormones like this at the current moment. Allen accepts the inevitable. And sure enough, when that familiar golden eyes landed on him, all hell break loose. It was like sleeping actually, it comes slowly. . .then all at once.
"Allen?" Neah muttered, shock dripping from his voice like thick honey. He took a step back, eyes wide and mouth gaped, Allen was slightly hurt by that reaction actually. Then came the moment of realisation where the knowledge sets in. "Allen," Neah says again, this time less shocking and more bold.
Besides him, Wisely laugh. Allen took that as a sign to slip from his chair.
For some reason, Neah was aligned with the clock on the wall, taking a step forward each time the second pass. And Allen, his back was already against the wall with the window besides him in case of emergencies.
"Allen!" Neah cried out, chasing after the white hair teen. Allen didn't want to die so he use the window as a last resort in case things get messy, and so he ran, making sure that he was always across Neah and that the table was fencing this two opposing individual.
Where did their relationship gone wrong? It's a funny story actually.
From what he gathers from the pass. . .is that Neah isn't particularly fond of the Earl. In fact, he curses that man's very existence. And so. . .Allen ran towards the head of the table where the patriarch is currently sitting as he watches the current event unravelling. Neah chases after him as he follows the opposite side. Allen sends signals to the Earl, making sure that he understand. . .and fast since time was short. Glancing slightly at his back, Neah was hot on his tail with only and arm's length separating them. Allen wasted no time as he neared the Earl, and the Earl -getting the message- pushed his seat back as he pat his lap a couple of time. Allen went for it and lurches, landing almost perfectly on the Earl's lap as he wrapped his arms around the man as leverage. The Earl also wraps an arm around Allen, seemingly as a boundary against Neah.
"I'm thinking that you and this Exorcist are acquainted with each other?" The Earl ask quizzically, tilting his head to that side. He was in his man's form, making it possible for Allen to do that stunt earlier.
"Yeah. . .I know him quite well actually. . ." Neah says through gritted teeth, the hands by his side curling and uncurling.
"Well I can't let you murder him since he's an important guess, so, do kindly take your seat," The last phrased was said a bit forcefully, a hidden order.
He took a moment to calm himself, bowing slightly, he adamantly forced his body to move. "Yes, Lord Millennium,"
Neha's limb moved in a slightly robotic way, to stiff, as if he was a soldier in a march. The seat, just as he had anticipated the moment everyone was seated an hour ago, was across him, and Allen was actually reluctant to let the Earl go.
"Allen. . ." The Earl says as he gently push Allen. "Can you let me go?"
Allen stared at the Earl, big, innocent silver eyes pleading, it almost work though, with his will crumbling at the sight of innocent purity, but he glanced away and sigh, pushing Allen slightly again. Allen pouts, his lower lips trembling as his eyes wavered, it took him a couple of moment to know that the Earl won't budge. Reluctantly, Allen walked back to his seat with heavy footsteps and slouched shoulder. He pulled it and plopped himself down onto his seat. He ducked his head down, trying to act as if Neah wasn't glaring at him with so much intensity to put a hole through the wall.
Allen closed his eyes as he slides down against the seat, trying to make sense of all the useless chatter around him, well he certainly isn't trying to ignore the fuming Neah just across of him. Yeah, it's just that the marble floor is too beautiful, to pure for this world and it's a shame that no one pays any attention to it.
"Before this dinner ends. . ." the Earl says is a crescendo, putting the room into a dead silence. "Since the Exorcist have been staying with us for a couple of weeks, I think it is best for him to go into a new scenery. So it would be best if he live in the white ark for now, don't you agree Neah?"
Well, fuck.
"Of course, Earl." there came Neah reply.
Allen covers his face with his palm and he wants to die already, someone, please bury this sweet, poor child.
Thankfully, the head of the Noah gave him time to pack his stuff, so Allen had a bit time in his hands calming the fuck down. But the thought of returning there. . .brings some sort of peace in his chaotic state.
"Are you ready?" A voice follows upon the creaking door. Allen didn't brought much, just spare clothes and a couple of weapon, he slung his bag over his shoulder and turned his heels so his back was facing the wall.
Allen hopes his face was neutral, it became a default setting of his. "Yeah," He answers, walking towards the exit.
The Noah besides him didn't say anything, and Allen was thankful because of that. He doesn't know what he would do if Neah made a scene there. He was led to a door, Allen had never entered to Neah's domain through this place before so he doesn't know which door was which. But some thing just never change apparently, as they pass through red arches.
The scenery beyond the arches starts to change the deeper they went through it, and for a moment, there was nothing, just a blank abyss and Allen knows all to well that this was a point between dimension. Space and time. And Neah starts to walk faster, glancing back to make sure that Allen was following him. Allen couldn't help but smile sheepishly, it seems, their reunion can't be avoided after all.
The last archway was a painted gold, Neah walks through it eagerly. And Allen stops before the last line, standing at the edge of the boundary, Neah stops too, watching Allen in mild confusion. "Can I come in?" He ask, poking the line that separates the dimension.
"Of course you can," Neah all but answer, stating a fact. "This will always be your home,"
And Allen can't help but let a flood of emotion drown him, knowing that even if the entire universe was his enemy, he still have a place where he can return to.
A hand grabbed his arm, pulling him across the line, and there was that pair of golden eyes gazing at him. Hardened and determined, this is what he was dreaded to face.
"But even so, I still want to know, why you decide to leave in the first place?"
He had made a mistake. And this mistake will bring everything down along with him.
So that's why. . .he couldn't bear to let his world collapse along with him.
So this was a huge delay and I'm sorry because of it. But hey, I finished.
With love,
Mana
