A/N: Just to warn you so that it doesn't catch you too off-guard: Kanda is going to be narrating parts of this chapter. Also, this is one of the very few chapters in which I copy dialogue word for word from the original story. But that couldn't really be avoided given what that dialogue is...
To Leone Brion: Yes, I'm doing fillers. But just from season one, and it's really only the ones I feel have a lot of AllenxLenalee potential. I'm trying very hard to keep everything focused on their feelings for each other.
.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.
I froze in my tracks when I heard Allen say that he wanted to talk about what happened. After all the time that had passed, I had started to think that he wasn't taking the matter seriously. Apparently, I was wrong. And it may have just been wishful thinking on my part, but it actually sounded like he was nervous.
Then he apologized. He looked so adorable bowing like that. But I was still pissed, and adorable wasn't going to win him any points. If anything, it was going to work against us both in the long run, because if I got too lost in it, I wouldn't be able to say the things I needed to say. Which is why I placed the grocery bag on his head. To prevent him from standing up and looking me in the eye with those silver pools that made my insides melt. I couldn't let him off the hook that easily. "Don't try to get up yet, I still haven't forgiven you."
"O-Ok."
"You're really selfish, Allen-kun. You think that being able to see the souls of the akuma means that you carry the whole burden. And you sacrifice yourself, instead of letting other people help." I paused, searching for the right words and trying not to cry. "I wonder what friendship even means to you, because it's insulting when you won't even allow me to fight beside you." The tears I was holding back started to fall. It was embarrassing, but crying helped get out the childish words that were bothering me. "I hate ... your stupid left eye. I hate it."
"Lenalee, I-" Allen started to say something, but decided against it. He set down the bag and knelt in front of me where I'd collapsed. "Thank you for saving my life."
There it was, the 'thank you' that I'd been expecting back then. Just a little bit late. At least he seemed to have learned his lesson. "You're welcome. I'm sure it won't be the last time."
I ran off before the words were completely out of my mouth. I was certain he was smiling that half smile that made his face crinkle up in a way that made me want to kiss him, and I really didn't want to see it when my anger had yet to fade.
"I wonder if that means she's decided to forgive me." I heard him ask Timcanpy, confirming my suspicions that his expression was adorable.
"What are you waiting for?" I called back to him from the doorway. "Hurry up and get on! If we miss this train, the next one to Rome isn't until tomorrow!"
I laughed a little at his panicked look, though I was somewhat impressed that he managed to carry both of our suitcases and the groceries. I could have helped, but it seemed like a fitting punishment.
The ride was a little awkward after what happened. Fortunately, we had a mission briefing to read to distract us. And thankfully, it was interesting, and the atmosphere grew pleasant as we discussed it.
.x.x.
That first day in Rome was not productive, mission-wise. Watching-Allen-wise, it was very productive. It was always surprising to me how focused he got on missions, like everything else ceased to exist.
Except food. Even when we finally had a lead in our investigation, he was more interested in the buffet line. His obsession with food definitely went further than just a parasite-type's need for energy. It was mildly annoying. And oddly attractive. The love-struck side of me wondered if I would ever be important enough to him that he'd get distracted by me like he did by food.
I also saw Allen get angry with someone who wasn't Kanda for the first time. It was almost funny the way he nearly blew up at those noblemen. He was still fuming after we left, and it made me giggle. It just seemed so out of character for him.
We shared a room at the inn that night. I was both thankful for, and disappointed in, the makeshift curtain separating us. We talked about the mission and the missing girl, and it distracted me from my desire to watch Allen sleep.
At least until the lights were out. I worked hard to suppress my longing to cross to his side of the room and take in his beautiful, innocent sleeping form. But the thoughts that started coming were not what I expected. I found myself wanting him to be the one to cross the curtain. To have Allen come to me. Not to watch me sleep, but to sleep with me. And I was surprised, and slightly mortified, to find that my imagination meant that as a euphemism. I fell asleep wondering what it would be like to have sex with Allen.
.x.x.
My ability to focus on the mission surprisingly didn't falter with Lenalee accompanying me. But then again, my position as an exorcist sort of defined me, and I knew better than to let what I suspected was a fleeting, hormonal crush get in the way of that.
That all went to hell, though, when we had to share a room for the night. It was torture knowing that I had feelings for the girl on the other side of the curtain. And I prayed, oh how I prayed, that my dreams would be clean that night.
... They weren't.
A dream of crossing to her side of the room and sleeping with her left me with a problem. Fortunately, it was the lesser of two evils; the erection was annoying and embarrassing, but I could hide it. And the curtain, which I had hated the night before, allowed me to sneak out without having to face Lenalee.
One very cold shower later, and I was able to focus on the mission once again. It was easy to stay focused when there were akuma to save and a stubborn samurai to deal with. Getting injured, while thoroughly unpleasant, was also a great way to keep my focus where it should be.
.x.x.
I lay awake in the bed, the wound on my side bandaged. Lenalee sat in the chair beside the bed, with that worried look on her face that made me want to hit her. Too bad she's a woman; a good smack might knock some sense into her. She knew better than to worry over me.
If anyone needed her worry, it was that idiot Moyashi. It would take his Innocence arm a lot longer to heal than my wounds would. Not that I was concerned for the moron, the damn woman was just that annoying.
She finally left when the finder asked her to go out to the other room and listen to the legend. I didn't want to hear that stupid story again, but I figured it would be worth it if Lenalee would leave me alone.
With nothing else to do, my eyes wandered through the doorway to the other room. They landed on the Moyashi first. The kid seemed to be absorbed in the ridiculous love story. Idiot. Then I caught him stealing a glance at Lenalee. The rest wasn't hard to put together. The Moyashi really was a moron; falling in love with Lenalee was just about the stupidest thing anyone could possibly do.
Bored to death, my attention shifted to her, wondering if she knew about the little idiot's crush on her. What I saw would have surprised me if I cared. The girl was practically drooling over the shirtless Moyashi. It just confirmed what I'd long suspected: Lenalee wasn't quite all there. Who in their right mind would want that scrawny little bean sprout?
Ugh. That was not a thought I needed to have. I shifted to a more comfortable position and gave up on trying to stay awake.
.x.x.
The akuma were defeated and the Innocence had been recovered. A successful mission. Getting injured was just a hazard of the job. If only the others would understand that. They tried to get me to stay behind to 'recover properly'. But I managed to convince them, with a little help from Mugen, that I could rest just fine on the train home. Though if I had known that the ride was going to end up being that fucking annoying, I would have stayed behind.
The three of us shared a cabin, and the finder waited outside. Despite what I had said, my injuries bothered me enough to keep me from being able to sleep sitting up. Which meant that I was stuck with the company of Lenalee and the idiot Moyashi. They left me alone, but in my irritated mood, all that mattered was that I was bored. I just sat there, silently fuming, the pouring rain making it impossible to see the scenery. Their conversation was far from interesting, talking about banal things like food and the weather.
As I watched them, I couldn't help noticing that the behavior I had observed the other day didn't seem to be a fluke. Lenalee was flirting with the Moyashi as they talked, though he was too much of an idiot to pick up on it. She too, was somehow completely oblivious to the fact that he was flirting back. It was nauseating.
The Moyashi looked at Lenalee like she was the prettiest girl he had ever seen. And I'd heard enough rumors about General Cross to know that that wasn't true. Lenalee wasn't all that pretty either. Though seeing as the girl was basically my little sister (the only part of Teidoll's "we're a family" nonsense that made any sense to me), my opinion wasn't exactly unbiased.
The whole thing was moronic. They were both idiots. Falling in love during a war was reckless, and they would only get hurt. Or cause problems for everyone around them. Or both. It would be in everyone's best interest to split them up before anything started. But that would require effort on my part, and I simply didn't care enough. It was also none of my business, so long as it wasn't me they caused problems for. Then, and only then, would I get involved.
The two hopped off at the next stop to grab some food while I waited on the train. I tried to take advantage of the quiet, hoping to fall asleep before they returned, so that I wouldn't have to put up with the nauseating flirting anymore.
Life really hated me that day. The idiot Moyashi had left his golem behind, and the little golden thing seemed hell-bent on getting my attention. I repeatedly swatted it away, but it just didn't get the message. The fucking thing was almost as annoying as its master. Losing what little patience I had, I drew Mugen and pointed it at the thing. "What the fuck do you want?"
The golem grinned at me, knowing that I knew that it would just reform if I did break it. A series of gestures got its point across surprisingly quickly. It wanted my help getting Lenalee and the Moyashi together. "Fuck no. There's no way in hell that I'm going to do that."
It wasn't happy with that response and tried to nestle in my hair like it always did to the Moyashi. I swatted it away and threatened it with Mugen again. It pouted at me. "Fuck no." I repeated.
The pouting turned to crocodile tears. And it was in that moment that the others returned. The golem kept up the act and flew straight into the brat's arms. "Bakanda! What do you think you're doing?"
"Che. It started it." I sheathed Mugen and slumped back into my seat. "And it's your own damn fault for leaving the thing behind."
The brat looked like he was about to argue when Lenalee stepped in. "He's right, Allen-kun. Besides, Tim's not hurt, so everything's fine, right?"
"Right." He caved immediately to her gentle tone, and I vaguely wondered if he was aware that she already had him whipped. She handed him something from the bag she was carrying, and he brightened up immediately.
Food, of course. I smirked and Lenalee immediately rounded on me. "And you... You promised that you'd rest! What were you thinking, drawing Mugen on a golem?"
"It started it." I grumbled, crossing my arms and glaring at the thing. I didn't want to pick a fight with Lenalee, but I was in a foul mood. "You'd think that the stupid thing would have figured out by now that it should leave me alone."
"That's no reason to threaten him with your sword!" The damn woman was starting to get on my nerves. Her next sentence only made it worse. "Now, apologize to Timcanpy."
"Fuck no!" This girl definitely had more than a few screws loose if she thought I would do such a thing. "I'm not apologizing to a fucking golem."
"Of course not." Lenalee sighed wearily and returned to her seat. She and the Moyashi ate their lunch, and the train resumed its journey. The wonderful silence ended as the pair continued with their awkward flirting. The bothersome golem and I glared at each other the rest of the trip. It kept pointing at Lenalee and the Moyashi with its tail, as if trying to get me to change my mind. It was as annoying as hell, but the actions finally ceased when I adjusted my grip on Mugen.