Allouette opened her eyes slowly, the morning sunlight streaming into her room. Kayin was sitting on the edge of her bed, holding her hand in is own.
"Where am I?" She asked, trying to sit up.
"Welcome back. You're in your hotel room, after sleeping for three days." He put a hand against her back and helped her sit up against pillows.
"Three days? What about you? Are you alright?"
He nodded, "I'm fine. The tournament was closed after the entire arena shook and Atyon was found dead. No winner was announced."
"Of course." She said.
"Of course." He muttered.
She smiled at him, "How are the others?"
"We're fine." Sofia said, walking into the bedroom. Eiji and Ellis followed her closely, smiling.
"You destroyed the sword." Kayin said, holding her hand.
"Good. It was a powerful weapon. I didn't break your sword, did I?" Allouette asked, concern lining her face.
"Nope." Kayin pulled out Excalibur and it hummed so close to her. "I'm not sure what you did, but it feels more. . .wieldy. More ready to do battle."
"I'm not sure what I did either."
"Well, we've got planes to catch. We'll see you Kayin." Eiji said, taking Kayin's looks at the door as a hint.
Ellis came forward and hugged Allouette, "Keep in touch, or come visit the circus."
"I will. Have a safe trip Ellis."
Ellis nodded and Sofia came to the side of the bed. "Take care, and try not to live up to your reputation."
"Take care Sofia. I'll try not to."
Sofia nodded and left the room with Ellis. Eiji came forward and took her hand. "We probably owe you all our lives. Take care of him, because it's obvious he can't take care of himself."
"Good bye Eiji." Allouette said smiling.
"Get out Eiji. You're a dead man." Kayin said, shooting his best friend a look that was all daggers.
Eiji left, shutting the door to the hotel room behind him. Kayin moved from the side of the bed and looked out the window, watching a pair of birds roosting on the fire escape. He turned and saw Allouette watching him intently.
"I can always use help at home. You'd have someplace to sleep every night. I would take care of you."
Allouette felt her throat tighten slightly. "Do you want me to come home with you?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Kayin looked out the window again, "If you want to. It would do Naru some good to have a female figure in her life. It would also allow me to keep an eye on you in case Atyon wasn't bluffing about the Ittou No Okibi not being destroyed."
"Oh." Allouette was beginning to feel disappointed.
"I would also miss you more than breathing if you didn't come back with me."
"I would miss you too, Kayin."
He turned and smiled, kneeling next to the bed. She touched the side of his face and blinked quickly, tears burning her eyes.
"Now that my father is gone, I'm no longer in debt to Atyon and his people."
A tear escaped her eyes and Kayin gently brushed it away, pulling her into a warm embrace. Several more tears ran down her cheeks and dripped onto his red jacket, leaving little dots of wet. Kayin ignored them and gently rocked back and forth the same way he did with Naru. Surprisingly, it worked the same way, causing Allouette to stop her crying after a few sad moments.
"You're a free woman now Allouette. Will you come back with me?" Kayin asked.
"Yes I will." She nodded, laying her head on his shoulder.
Kayin hugged her as well, then released her. They left the hotel that afternoon after Allouette had gotten an okay from the doctor to get out of bed. As they left the hotel, Allouette turned and looked at the arena. She felt a slight trembling far beneath the ground, and stopped Kayin.
He looked at her with a concerned frown on his face.
"What is it?"
Allouette was silent for a moment, then she smiled at him.
"Nothing at all."
"Where am I?" She asked, trying to sit up.
"Welcome back. You're in your hotel room, after sleeping for three days." He put a hand against her back and helped her sit up against pillows.
"Three days? What about you? Are you alright?"
He nodded, "I'm fine. The tournament was closed after the entire arena shook and Atyon was found dead. No winner was announced."
"Of course." She said.
"Of course." He muttered.
She smiled at him, "How are the others?"
"We're fine." Sofia said, walking into the bedroom. Eiji and Ellis followed her closely, smiling.
"You destroyed the sword." Kayin said, holding her hand.
"Good. It was a powerful weapon. I didn't break your sword, did I?" Allouette asked, concern lining her face.
"Nope." Kayin pulled out Excalibur and it hummed so close to her. "I'm not sure what you did, but it feels more. . .wieldy. More ready to do battle."
"I'm not sure what I did either."
"Well, we've got planes to catch. We'll see you Kayin." Eiji said, taking Kayin's looks at the door as a hint.
Ellis came forward and hugged Allouette, "Keep in touch, or come visit the circus."
"I will. Have a safe trip Ellis."
Ellis nodded and Sofia came to the side of the bed. "Take care, and try not to live up to your reputation."
"Take care Sofia. I'll try not to."
Sofia nodded and left the room with Ellis. Eiji came forward and took her hand. "We probably owe you all our lives. Take care of him, because it's obvious he can't take care of himself."
"Good bye Eiji." Allouette said smiling.
"Get out Eiji. You're a dead man." Kayin said, shooting his best friend a look that was all daggers.
Eiji left, shutting the door to the hotel room behind him. Kayin moved from the side of the bed and looked out the window, watching a pair of birds roosting on the fire escape. He turned and saw Allouette watching him intently.
"I can always use help at home. You'd have someplace to sleep every night. I would take care of you."
Allouette felt her throat tighten slightly. "Do you want me to come home with you?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Kayin looked out the window again, "If you want to. It would do Naru some good to have a female figure in her life. It would also allow me to keep an eye on you in case Atyon wasn't bluffing about the Ittou No Okibi not being destroyed."
"Oh." Allouette was beginning to feel disappointed.
"I would also miss you more than breathing if you didn't come back with me."
"I would miss you too, Kayin."
He turned and smiled, kneeling next to the bed. She touched the side of his face and blinked quickly, tears burning her eyes.
"Now that my father is gone, I'm no longer in debt to Atyon and his people."
A tear escaped her eyes and Kayin gently brushed it away, pulling her into a warm embrace. Several more tears ran down her cheeks and dripped onto his red jacket, leaving little dots of wet. Kayin ignored them and gently rocked back and forth the same way he did with Naru. Surprisingly, it worked the same way, causing Allouette to stop her crying after a few sad moments.
"You're a free woman now Allouette. Will you come back with me?" Kayin asked.
"Yes I will." She nodded, laying her head on his shoulder.
Kayin hugged her as well, then released her. They left the hotel that afternoon after Allouette had gotten an okay from the doctor to get out of bed. As they left the hotel, Allouette turned and looked at the arena. She felt a slight trembling far beneath the ground, and stopped Kayin.
He looked at her with a concerned frown on his face.
"What is it?"
Allouette was silent for a moment, then she smiled at him.
"Nothing at all."
