So, let me tell you this: this chapter was one serious pain in the ass to write. Well, the last half, at least.
Maa, you'll see what I mean.
Answer: Well, the only review said it was amazing, so I guess it was.
Enjoy!
We all stepped out of the Gate 3, and it took me a few seconds to realize that we were now in the European Headquarters' Hall.
"Okaeri!"
Looking around, I realized that all the scientists were present, lifting to enormous banners saying 'Welcome Home' and sporting big smiles on their faces.
"Hey guys!" I waved. "How's life going?"
For only answer, they cheered and laugh, and something warm settled in my heart, making me smile too. Then, my eyes settled onto Komui, just in front of us.
We locked gazes.
You're screwed.
No shit.
"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING, GOING MIA LIKE THAT? WE HEAR THAT YOU'VE GOT YOUR FRICKING INNOCENCE IN PIECES AND THAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO DIE, BEFORE BAK INFORMED US THAT YOU JUST FRICKING COLLAPSED AND THEY THOUGHT THEY LOST YOU, AND THEN YOU JUST WALTZ BACK IN LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED AND TAKE ON A FRICKING LEVEL THREE WHEN YOU JUST WOKE UP FROM A COMA, AND THEN YOU SCARE THE HELL OUT OF US BY TURNING OFF YOUR EMITTER ONCE IN THE ARK, BEFORE SAID EMITTER GOT SHUT DOWN SOMEHOW!"
"IT'S NOT LIKE I FUCKING ASKED TO HAVE MY WING RIPPED APART, THANK YOU VERY MUCH! I DIDN'T EXACTLY HAD THE OPTION 'DO YOU WANT TO LIVE' WITH THE CRAZY RED BUTTON! AND YEAH, I WALTZ BACK IN LIKE YOU SAY BECAUSE I'M JUST THAT FUCKING AWESOME! As for the emitter, I don't have any good excuse, sorry about that AND DAMN IT, IT'S NOT LIKE I'M THE ONE WHO SHUT THEM DOWN!"
"I DON'T CARE! YOU'RE ON PAPERWORK DUTY FOR AT LEAST TWO WEEKS, YOU HEAR ME!? YOU STOLE YEARS OF MY LIFE WITH ALL THE FRICKING DRAMA THAT FOLLOWS YOU EVERYWHERE YOU GO, YOU DWARFED SOCIAOPATH!"
"TAKE THAT BACK YOU CRAZY-SISTER-COMPLEXED-MORON!"
There was a moment of heavy silence, before his face broke into a gigantic grin.
"Okaeri, Ary" he simply said.
"Tadaima, Boss" I replied.
"Nii-san…" I heard Lenalee mutter to my right.
I rolled my eyes, grabbed her shoulders, and pushed her ahead. She shot me a look, before gazing back at her brother, and her eyes filled with salty water as she ran at him.
"NII-SAN!"
He caught her in his arms, and I smiled as confetti started falling around us.
Hime…
What is it?
There was a chuckle.
Touch your cheeks.
My cheeks?
Puzzled at the weird demand, I did as told, and froze as my fingers came in contact with a liquid running down my face.
Am I bleeding?
No, you moron.
I then realized that the alien substance came from my own very eyes, and there were startled gasps from Lavi and Allen, who gaped at me like fishes out of the water.
"Ary!"
The cry gained the attention of the rest of the people present, who fell deadly silent, and I stared wide eyes at the water on my hands.
"I'm… crying…" I blinked. "Why… am I crying?"
I looked at Lavi, hoping he'd have the answer, but he simply smiled and placed his hand on my head.
"Home sweet home, ne?"
Home.
I'm home.
You're home.
… finally…
And at that, my last barriers broke down and the tears fell without any sort of restraint.
Home.
At last.
Needless to say, my little fit had made everyone kind of panic, seeing as it wasn't exactly a daily occurrence. When I finally calmed down, and everyone settled back to some sort of normal, it was time to get Miranda some well deserved rest.
Otherwise said, you're in for a world of pain and suffering.
You're still not going to heal me?
No.
Miranda let a few tears fall, and I smiled.
"Don't worry, we'll be fine" I assured.
She blinked at me, as if remembering something.
"W-why aren't you on a s-stretcher already, Ary?" she asked. "With y-your wound, it'll be d-dangerous to stay up…"
I cringed as the other's eyes snapped at me, remembering just now that I had had my abdomen pierced not an hour sooner.
"God, no need for these looks" I rolled my eyes.
But, I laid down nowadays. After that, Miranda took a deep breath.
"Time record, cease activation" she ordered.
There was a flash of light, and she suddenly collapsed.
"Mira-chan!"
I tried to get up, but my body stopped answering my demands as my stomach split in two, blood splattering around. Gasping for air, I fall back on the stretcher as my breath hitched and black spots danced into my vision once more.
This time, I let everything go, though.
Too tired for all this crap.
I looked around, surprise. I was in some sort of white forest. Feeling a presence, I turned around and saw Gabriel sitting farther away.
"Yo, Trickster" I greeted.
"Hime! Come here"
I sat next to him, and he grinned at me. I eyed him suspiciously.
"You're not mad at me anymore?"
"Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm thoroughly pissed with you! However, I can put that aside for now. I have to tell you more about Allen, and myself"
"I'm listening"
I sat more comfortably, and he took a deep breath, before starting –his mouth still wasn't moving, by the way.
"When I first became an Exorcist, before being an Angel, I met this Noah, called Nea D. Campbell. He was the Fourteenth Noah, and the closest to the Millennium Earl. We fought a few times, talked at others. I discovered he wanted to become the new Millennium Earl, but with new goals, which were approved by Father. However, when he betrayed the current Earl, he failed. After that, his reincarnation kept dying before he could truly come back, and I never saw him again. He was… he is, a good friend of mine. And Allen is his new vessel"
"W-what?" I shook my head. "Wait, but does that mean Allen will loose control?"
"It depends on how things will go. For you and I, we're both on the same length of mind, so we can cohabit without true struggle. For Allen and Nea, though, it's another story. Allen wishes to save humans and Akumas alike, and Nea wishes to kill the Earl to take his place. They have two way different minds, and as long as they can't merge with each other like we did, they will both fight for control"
"W-what… what do you want me to do?" I asked, more calmly. "Allen's my friend. I won't let him disappear"
"I know" he smiled. "Nea's my friend too, and I won't let him disappear either. So, the only option is for us to help them merge. Guide their path, side with them. They can be one, we just have to help them through it. Of course, you don't have too"
I thought for a moment, before nodding.
"I'll do it" I assured.
"Sometimes, I worry about how open-minded you can be" he admitted.
"I don't care if Nea is a Noah" I replied honestly. "I don't classify one person because of it's peers. If he is different as you say he is, and if you trust him, then I'll trust him too. Because I trust you"
"Damn, now you make me feel bad for being mad at you" he mumbled.
I laughed a little at that, but soon became serious again.
"The Earl and apparently the Noahs know about you. Cross knows too, but I'm not really worried about him. I'll tell Allen, so that Nea knows not to kill me or whatever. I'm going to tell Lavi too, because he's already suspicious of something, I can't lie to him any longer and he'll most probably corner me about it anyway" I resumed. "I'll tell Bookman too, seeing as he won't interfere. I won't tell Boss, Jumper or any of the others for now, seeing as they might be coerced into telling the tight-asses-higher-ups. Is that alright with you?"
"I told you, Ary, you can do whatever you want. I'm just here to help, not control. I appreciate the concern, though"
"Alright" I breathed, more at ease. "Do you think the Earl might try to kill me again?"
"Seeing as Road can't use her powers to extract the information they want, he'd have to wait for the reincarnation of the Fifth Disciple, who might be able to actually bring down our barriers. However, no one can predict when a Noah will reincarnate. During that time, you might lead the Exorcists to the Heart, and he can't risk that"
"Otherwise said, we're screwed" I resumed flatly.
"Nan, we'll be fine" he waved it off. "For now, at least. He won't risk attacking Headquarters right now, seeing as he lost one of his Noahs and four others are in no fighting shape"
"Alright, I think it's all for- oh, right! I was wondering something"
"Go on"
"Ever since I activated Angel for the first time, so many years ago, I've been having these… nightmares. You know about them, of course, but I was wondering if… well, you know, if you could find a way to keep them away? I can't depend on Bookman's sleeping pills like that for any longer" I scratched the back of my head.
At my words, though, his traits darkened somewhat, and he sent me what I recognized as an apologetic look.
"These… aren't , nightmares. They're… well, they're my memories"
Processing the information.
Processing the information.
Processing the infor- WHAT?
He cringed.
"B-but how- why- these can't-" I couldn't find the right words to describe the horror I felt right now.
Memories.
All these deaths of people I didn't even know, all this suffering and the utter destruction… All this time, I though it was merely my imagination going wild when the sun came down, but considering these real…
"I can't keep them away, or not in the way you see it" he sighed. "They're part of our mental defense. That way, no one can get in while we're sleeping. If I take them away –I'm not even sure I'd be able to, by now-, we'd be very vulnerable. Plus, it… allows me, to remember too"
"… I see. I'm sorry, too. It must have been… very painful" I breathed out. "Is that why… Is that why your nature is to protect and save? Because I can easily guess it ain't Michael's"
He chuckled at that.
"Yeah, you're right on that. To find an Host, we must first search for one who has the same goals, or ideals. That's why we can work together so well. Michael, however, after Cross's incident, opted for a less strong-minded vessel. That means he is in control, yes, but he isn't as strong as he could have been"
"And what exactly does he fight for? We're the 'Protector and Savior', what about him?" I asked curiously.
"Justice"
There was a moment of silence, and I scrunched my nose.
"That's… kind of hazy, for a goal" I remarked. "Justice is a relative notion, volatile. It's easy to misunderstand it. Is that what happened with him? He lost view of his true goal?"
"Exactly. He strove from his path and lost himself to his impulsions. He won't be able to see clearly again until he comes back Up"
"Ooh, am I going to become an Angel too?" I grinned suddenly.
"Nan, doesn't work that way, Hime" he laughed, ruffling my hair. "But I'll put in a good word for you with the big Guy"
"Geez, thanks" I rolled my eyes.
There was a weird buzzing sound, and the white forest started to become hazy.
"You have to wake up now, Hime. We'll talk some more later" he smiled.
"Sure"
I beamed at him, noticing despite all the cheeriness in his voice the sad hue in his blue iced eyes.
I blinked a few times, realizing in was in the Medical Wing. Sitting up, there was a sting on my stomach but, when I looked, there was only a fine, white, scar.
Hey! You healed me!
Tche, I couldn't let you fucking die either, baka.
Aw, I love you too.
You love the pirate dude more.
Don't even start.
"Hey, Ary"
"Yo, Jumper" I greeted, turning to her.
She was sitting in her bed too, Miranda lying on the one next to her, and the Head Nurse taking notes in the corner. There was a slight pull in my arm, and I narrowed my eyes at the IV, before pulling the needle out with intense disgust.
Instantly, the old hag was next to me, KI radiating from her in violent waves.
"And exactly what do you think you're doing, Miss Aryane?" she asked sweetly.
But her smile was feral, and it took me all my courage to hold her gaze.
"You know I can't stand needles" I retorted, hoping I'd sound braver than I really felt. "And I'm fine, I'm all healed up and up to go, so…"
"Absolutely not!" she snapped, pushing me back down.
Hey, the old hag got some serious strength.
No kidding. She'd get along with Mother.
Honestly, Hime? I shiver at the thought of the two together.
"Alright, alright" I gave in, laying back down.
She eyed me suspiciously, before walking to the table in the back to work on some lotions or whatever.
Are you seriously giving up?
As if.
Without a sound, I got out of my bed, and crawled to the door.
Yes, I crawled.
You're an idiot.
And you're annoying, but do you see me complaining? I'm the one mopping the fucking floor.
I could feel Lenalee and Miranda's amused stares on me as I finally reached the door. Getting up slowly as to not attract attention, I opened the door as silently as possible.
Of course, it had to creak.
Very, very loudly.
The old hag instantly turned around and spot me. Letting go of any sense of subtlety, I slammed the door open and ran outside for dear life as she screamed after me.
She's terrifying.
And she's pissed too.
Scared, Hime?
Don't make fun of me, anyone with a sense of preservation would be.
Touché.
"GET BACK HERE!"
"NEVER!"
Running down the hallways and skipping around the scientists and Finders on the way –they merely shot me amused glances, apparently too used to this situation-, I took a sharp turn and opened the first door I could find, before going in and instantly closing it.
I let out a shaky breath.
"Ary?"
Surprised, I turned and saw Lavi, Kanda, Chaozii, Allen, Marie and Krory in their own medical beds.
They -minus Krory, who was still unconscious- blinked at my sudden appearance.
Then, the angry screech of the nurse was heard, and I laughed nervously.
"Hey guys… so, all's well? Cool, I'll be off the-"
The door slammed open, letting the angry Head Nurse enter. I instantly backed away and hid behind Lavi's back, who's confusion turned to amused understanding.
Wait.
Why is everyone amused by this?
I am too.
I hate you all.
"You are in no state to run around, Miss Aryane!" she snapped, taking threatening steps in my way.
"But I'm alive and kicking, why should I stay in bed?" I protested, using the redhead as a human shield.
"Stop acting like a child, Miss Aryane!" she replied, trying to grab me.
I managed to escape her grasp, and hide behind Kanda, who narrowed his eyes at me. I nudged him her way.
"Here, take this sacrifice to appease your wrath!" I cried dramatically.
They both glared at me, and I laughed nervously.
"Right, right, no one sane would like Jerkface as a sacrifice anyway…"
His glare hardened and, next thing I knew, I was sent flying into the nurse's grip.
"Nooooo! Bad Jerkface, bad!" I tried to wriggled my way out.
"As long as you don't have permission from the Supervisor, you are not allowed to leave the Medical Wing" warned coldly the old hag, trying to drag me away.
"Fine, I get it!" I struggled. "But let me stay with them, at least! I want to bug Ba-Kanda some mo- ITAI!"
"Shush! We're in a medical area" she remarked.
She's dragging you by the ear.
No shit!
"Gah! Bookboy, save me! Kiddo! Cherub! Chaozii! Even Jerkf- nan, not him. He's an ass. But someone!" I pleaded.
They just shook their head with some sort of fond exasperation –Kanda scoffed, though-, and the door closed as the nurse dragged me forcefully to my doom.
In the end, I bullied Komui to set me free when he came crying to Lenalee. Finally able to walk around without the risk of being killed by the old hag –she kept glaring at me the whole time-, I instantly went to the cafeteria to grab some grub.
I was starving.
No change here.
Fuck off, I'm hungry. Sue me.
Entering the room, I happily made my way to the counter, where Jeryy was working.
"Hey, Gusto! Feeling good?" I called.
He turned around, letting his pan fall on the floor and, at my sight, tears streamed down his face. Next thing I knew, he was choking me with his bear embrace.
"G-Gusto! Let m- let me go!" I gasped for air.
He obeyed, sniffing.
"I'm so glad, Ary, so, so glad!" he sobbed. "What can I get you? I'll do anything!"
"Great, I'm famished!" I grinned. "So, I'll go with some curry, salmon with a touch of lemon, a bowl of fuming rice, a pack of sushi, some mashed potatoes, four pork ribs, two corncob, your famous stew, pastas, a Swiss fondue, six kebabs and two piece of Black Forest, along with a cup of hot chocolate"
"Right away!"
Two minutes later, I was sitting at my table and eating my fill. It seemed like forever since I could eat as much as I wanted, and it was even better seeing as it was Jeryy's cooking.
"Hey, Ary!"
"Checkmate!" I waved as he joined me. "How are you feeling?"
"Good, good. What about you? With… what happened, to Summan…"
My smile twitched a little, and I sighed.
"It's alright" I shrugged. "We tried to save him, but the Noahs got him first… I won't fail next time, though. I won't let any of my friends go down the same path"
He sniffed at my words, and rubbed his eyes to wipe away the tears forming. Smiling again, I squeezed his hand.
"Want to play a game later?" I proposed.
"Y-yeah" he nodded.
Apparently, the loss was still very fresh, because he couldn't hold back his cries any longer. However, before breaking down before everyone, he bowed.
"Later, then" he choked.
Then, he ran away.
Are you sure you're okay?
I couldn't save him. I feel bad for it, of course, but I know that either way, he would've died because of the Teez inside of him. Mikk is the only one to blame for this.
At least he won't cause any trouble for some time.
Right.
I finished engulfing the last of my snack, before heading out.
I'm going to find Allen and tell him now. With what happened in the Ark, there is no doubt that suspicions will arise and he will be under heavy scrutiny. If I wait any longer, there is no way to tell when –or if- I'll be able to get him alone.
Are you going to tell him everything? Because the poor boy has many questions.
I'll tell as much as I can.
Alright.
I took a deep breath, and closed my eyes to help me concentrate. After a few seconds, I could make out all the auras in the Headquarters. The Finders and the scientists' auras were some sort of blue/green hue. The Exorcists' auras were heavier, stronger, and a mass of swirling red.
It took me exactly six minutes and twenty-three seconds to manage to identified each of them.
Not bad, Hime, but not good either.
I'm going to work on that, don't worry. For now, though, I can't find him. Where the hell could he be if not at the- oh.
The Ark.
Yeah, thought so too.
But of course, the door was currently under observation by half of the Headquarters.
He just had to make things complicated, didn't he?
I managed to get inside, and instantly headed for the piano room.
On my way there, though, two other presences made themselves known. One of them sent chills down my spine, but not of fear.
Of utter disgust.
I stopped in my tracks when they caught up to me, and crossed my arms over my chest.
"Miss Aryane" greeted the man with some sort superiority.
"Leverrier" I sneered. "To what do we owe your… pleasant, presence?"
The blond to his right seemed offended by my blatant lack of respect, but Leverrier stopped him without a word.
"I am present under the Vatican's direct orders for analyzing the situation of Mr. Walker" he answered plainly. "And yours, while I am at it"
"My situation?" I repeated, my voice growing colder. "Is that because of my Innocence's sudden revival? Because, as you should know, one of Angel's abilities was regeneration. It is no grand surprise"
His glared hardened.
"Bak Chang declared you a lost cause a day after you woke up from your first coma, and they gave up on your case when you fell into your second. But then, as suddenly as it happened, you woke up and brilliantly save the day with a brand new and stronger Innocence" he resumed hauntingly. "The same as Walker, apparently"
"Oh, you think I was brilliant?" I batted my eyelashes. "I thought so too"
"This is no game, Miss Aryane" he cut sharply. "You should be dead"
"So sorry to disappoint" I retorted.
We held each other's gaze for a few seconds, before he looked away first and started walking again. I stood in place, not moving an inch, when he arrived by my side.
"You should be aware, Miss Aryane, that if we discover anything about your situation that you should have told, it would be considered treason" he remarked. "And that the blatant lack of protocol you seem to display could be justified as a defying the authority"
"You should be aware, Leverrier, that I have nothing to hide" I gritted my teeth. "And that I only show respect to those who deserves it"
He scoffed, then walked away. The blond eyed me one last time, apparently unsure about how to react, before quickly following.
I scowled at them.
I hate this man.
You tell me, Trickster. I don't blame him for his goals because no matter what I think, he's got his priorities straight. He's not the bad guy, per se. However, he's just like Michael. He's not using the right methods, and that makes all the difference.
They're going to cause trouble, though. Knowing him, he's probably going to observe the boy –and maybe us- 24/7 to gain each and every little proof he might find and use against him and us.
I won't let him. You told me yourself, I have to help Allen and Nea. No matter what happens, I'll side by them.
What about Lavi? What happens when your paths diverge?
… we'll see when we get there. I have to talk to him next anyway.
Don't take too long. You learned your lesson from last time.
Don't remind me.
"Hey, Kiddo" I called, entering the white room.
He was sitting on the piano bench, his head between his knees, and I felt kind of bad for him. He raised his head at my voice, puzzled.
"Ary? What are you doing here?" he asked.
"Make some place"
He tossed himself a little, and I sat next to him.
"There's… a lot of things, I have to tell you" I said, not exactly knowing where to start. "It's kind of… complicated, at first, but you'll understand, alright?"
"What are you talking about?" he frowned. "What's going on now?"
I almost snorted at his sarcastically resigned tone, but restrained myself. Now was not the time.
Trickster?
I'm here.
"Look into the mirror, Allen" I asked softly, nodding to the opposite wall that seemed to be composed of said mirror.
His frown deepened, but he obeyed nowadays, and stiffened as he saw Gabriel waving at him instead of my reflection.
"W-what?" he spluttered.
He seemed paler than normal.
"Don't you faint on me, Kiddo" I warned. "So, this is Gabriel. He's an Angel. Like, a real, real, Angel. And I'm his meat suit-"
"Vessel" he corrected.
"Same thing" I rolled my eyes. "So, I'm his Host on this Earth. Long story short, we kind of merged together when I activated my Innocence for the first time, but we only managed to get into contact when I fell into my coma-like state back at the Asian Branch. We talked, I realized the true meaning behind my own prophecy, then I woke up and activated Archangel and beat up the Level Three along with you and Crown Clown"
He searched for his words for a few seconds, before shaking his head.
"Is that… is that why you always seemed to talk to yourself?" he asked, understanding washing over his features. "Because he talked to you?"
"Bright kid" grinned Gabriel. "That's right. Ary and I are now one, and we'll get stronger as our bond deepens. We have our own mission, aside from her being an Exorcist"
"Protector and Savior of the Innocence" remembered the white haired boy.
"Exactly" I nodded. "There's another enemy besides the Akumas, the Noahs and the Millennium Earl. He's called Apocryphos, but he's actually Michael, this moron's brother"
"I'm not a moron"
"Yes, you are. Anyway, you don't have to worry yourself about him, Trickster and I are taking care of it" I waved my hand as if chasing a fly. "However, right now, you have what happened with the Ark that's important"
"You know?" he asked fervently, hopes writing on his traits. "You have answers?"
"Not all of them" I shook my head. "But a few. You see, just like Gab and I, you've got someone else in your head. His name is Nea, and he's the Fourteenth Noah"
At that, he seemed to be ready to faint.
"A- a… Noah?" he repeated weakly.
"Chill out, Kiddo, he's a good guy" I assured. "He's actually Trickster's friend"
He breathed in and out a few times, before nodding at me to continue.
"Seeing as he now made his appearance for the first time within you, things are going to get a little more complicated" I pursued, choosing carefully my words. "Your goals and his goals differs, and that will lead to some important disrupting, where you will both fight for the control of your body"
"That wasn't exactly said with tact, Hime" Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Oi, I'm here to help, not sugarcoat the truth" I remarked. "But that's not the point. The point is, you can't just kick him out. It doesn't work that way. However, he won't let you control in peace either"
"Then what should I do?" he pleaded. "What does this have to do with Mana? Why does- why does this happen to me? Am I really walking my own path, or was it just made up for me to walk on!?"
As he seemed to loose his cool, I roughly whacked the back of his head. Instantly, he calmed down, and shot me a half-glare, half-apologizing look.
"I don't know what it has to do with Mana" I admitted, knowing the father-like figure of Allen's life. "What I do know is that no matter what happens, you are still Allen Walker, and no ones can make you walk a path that isn't your own, even a Noah hitching a ride in your skull. As to what you can do, the best way to do so is to accept it"
"What!?"
"Okay, not like that" I corrected myself. "Sorry, came out wrong. What I mean is… God, Trickster, a little help here?"
"What my stupid Host is trying to say is that the only way for you and Nea to both have what you want is to concord your goals, your purposes" he resumed. "Ary and I can fully merge now because we are on the same length of thoughts, hearts and souls. If you can manage the same thing with Nea, then not only will you grow stronger, but you will both be able to survive"
He paled even more than I deemed healthy.
"B-but… I don't want that!" he shook fervently his head. "This- this is my life, my body! I can't just let him in like that!"
"We're not saying you have too" I assured softly. "We're just saying it's the best course of action. I can fully understand your position, and I respect your choice if you decide not to go with it. You can fight to keep control, but it won't be easy, and most certainly painful. In the end, you very well might loose to him"
"I-I won't let it happen" he assured, determined. "I will always be Allen Walker, and no one else!"
"Good" I grinned.
I got up, and Gabriel waved once again, before disappearing from the mirror.
"I don't know anything more" I concluded. "You know as much as I do. Cross might have more answers about Mana, if you really want to know. What you can be assured of, though, is that whatever you choose to do, I'll be by your side. I won't make decisions for you, 'cause I'm just here to give you a little nudge when you need to move, but I'll be there"
He stayed silent for a moment, deep in thoughts, and I sighed, before making my way outside.
"Ary"
I tilted my head his way, and he smiled at me, the first true smile I saw him sport since we got back.
"Thank you"
"Anytime. I'll see you later, Kiddo. I've got to have a talk with someone else"
As I placed my hand on the handle, I remembered an important detail.
"Oh, by the way! Don't tell any of the others about Gabriel and me. You might not have seen him or even know him, but Apocryphos' lurking around. He could very well coerce our friends into spilling everything to him, and that would put everyone in a very bad position" I warned.
"Got it" he nodded, seeming more calm now. "Are you going to tell Lavi?"
"With Bookman" I confirmed. "They don't have the same obligations as the usual Exorcists, so it won't be a problem for them to keep a few secrets"
He nodded once again, and smiled back for the second time.
"We've got ourselves some really weird situations, didn't we?"
"That we did" I agreed, smiling too. "Later, Kiddo"
"Later"
As the door closed, I sighed heavily.
That's going to be tougher now. He won't accept the Noah, and Nea won't even consider the potential of a merging without some nudging in that direction.
If Allen doesn't want too, it's his right, though. I'm just going to be there as much as I can for him, and hope for the worst while preparing for the worst.
That's the spirit. You going to tell the Bookmen now?
Since I'm at it.
More like you're too lazy to do it later.
Shush.
There was a moment of silence as Gab and I finished explaining for the second time that day, and I let out a breath as the two Bookmen eyed me with very serious expressions.
"That… is very unexpected" finally said Bookman. "And you said that with some training, you'd be able to find the Heart?"
"In theory" I confirmed.
"And that's why you kept talking to yourself" added Lavi.
"Was I that obvious?" I scratched my head, dubious.
"You started snickering for no reason at the weirdest timing" he pointed out.
"Touché"
"Why did you told us this information, not only about you, but also about Allen?" asked Bookman, bringing back the serious mode that had disappeared for around three seconds.
"Very simple" I shrugged. "One, you're a Bookman and he's a Bookman-in-training. That means you won't tell anyone else, for you can't interfere and only record. Second, because I need as much people on my side as I can without endangering anyone. Again, you're Bookmen. You don't have the same rules as us Exorcists. Third, because I thought you'd like to know, for recording and all. And finally, because you were already onto my case and Allen's and I knew you'd find out sooner or later anyway"
"Also because she didn't want to lie to little Lavi" added Gabriel with a twisted grin.
"Shut the hell up, Trickster" I warned.
At that, Lavi actually smirked.
Bastard.
Bookman let out a deep sigh, kind of resigned and distrusting at the same time.
"Talking about that… what are you two going to do now?" he asked again.
I exchanged a look with the redhead, before biting my lower lip and playing with my necklace.
"We haven't… exactly talked about it" he admitted sheepishly. "We didn't had the time to do so"
"Who knows?"
"Kiddo, Jumper, Jerkface, Chaozii, Cross and you" I resumed. "I don't know about anyone else"
He hummed, thinking about something, and I took in a deep breath.
"Ji-ji" I called, gaining his attention once more. "Whatever we choose to do, Lavi and I are both aware of our positions. He has his future as a Bookman, and I have my own destiny as the 'Protector and Savior'. Will come a time when our path will diverge in two completely different ways, and you know as well as I do that nothing can get into fate's plans. When that day comes, we'll be ready"
At that, his eyes actually softened a little.
"I see"
He then got back on his feet.
"As long as you can assure the same thing to me with the same belief you just showed me, I will not interfere" he promised. "I'll leave you two… talk it out, now"
"See you later, Ji-ji!" we both waved.
He simply walked out, and the door closed behind him.
Silence ensued.
"Well, that's awkward" remarked Gabriel.
"Shut it"
"Hey, Bookman Jr!" he called, completely ignoring me.
"What is it?" the redhead asked, more curious than anything else.
"I ain't about to take your girl, promise!"
"W-what? Gab! The hell are you talking about?" I exclaimed, red tainting my cheeks.
"I wasn't worried about it" assured Lavi, grinning too. "Keep teasing her for me, would you? She's cute when she's embarrassed"
"Agreed"
"I hate you both" I hit my head against a wall.
"Nan, you love us" replied Lavi.
"Well, more him than me, that's for sure" drawled the damn Angel. "I blame favoritism and your pirate fetish"
"I don't have-"
He simply waved and disappeared. Really embarrassed now, I couldn't dare look at Lavi, who I knew was still grinning like an idiot.
"Aw, don't be like that, Tenshi" he cooed, hugging me by behind. "I'm just making a new friend!"
"You two will be the death of me" I groaned.
He chuckled, and hugged me tighter. In the end, I turned around to face him.
"So…"
"So…"
"Well? What are we?" I huffed. "What's 'us' now? Is there an 'us' even?"
"Do you want to have an 'us'?" he replied easily.
I stayed silent for a moment.
"Ary?"
"Yes, damn it!" I blurted out.
The blood rushing to my cheeks once again, I hide my face in my hands. He gently grabbed said hands not a second later, and forced them down. Then, his lips were on mine once again. I answered instantly, filling the need that kept nudging me since we got back.
When we pulled away, he laughed.
"Good, me too" he admitted. "And about what you said too Ji-ji too"
"Leverrier's here" I said quietly.
He stiffened a little.
"So… no PDA?"
Unable to stop myself, I snorted.
"You're an idiot" I shook my head. "But no, not when him or one of his subordinates might catch us. They could try to use it against you or me, and Leverrier already seems suspicious of me"
"You don't exactly help your case" he remarked.
"Your point?" I replied.
He grinned at that, and pecked me on the lips again.
"That's what I like about you" he answered smoothly.
"Charmer" I teased. "Say, when did you realize that… well, you know, you…"
I couldn't bring myself to end my sentence, the whole ordeal still kind of surreal to me.
"Love you?" he completed.
"… yeah"
Love. Was he even conscious of the weight of this simple word?
At his smile, I guessed he did.
Imbecile.
"When we left for Edo, after finding out about your supposed death" he admitted, loosing a little of his easy-going façade at the memory. "I thought I lost you, and I just didn't understand because as a Bookman, I couldn't attach myself to anyone, but you were a different story, and I didn't get why. Then, Ji-ji said something along the lines of 'choosing between you or my destiny', which I was still to dense to understand, and Krory sealed the final blow when he.. said… something"
"What was it?" I asked, very curious.
At that, some pink actually tainted his cheeks and he looked away, mumbling something under his breath.
"What?"
"He said I looked at you the same way he looked at Eliade"
The words echoed in my head for a few seconds. At first, I was tempted to scoff but then, I remembered the weird looks he shot me from time to time before our forced separation, and when we met back in Edo.
I realized he was right.
"My turn, now" he proposed. "How did you realize it?"
"Kiddo made some stupid comment about trying not to make you jealous" I rolled my eyes. "Seeing as I was really, really dense, I didn't get it and he explained later on that, ever since the first time he saw each other together, he thought we were an item or whatever. You know me, I went through this whole denial phase, but Trickster kept bugging me about it before declaring me 'whipped'. In the end, I just decided to think about it once we were back here, at Headquarters, but then we were trapped into the Ark and… well, you know the rest"
He nodded, seeming to think about something, and his traits hardened a little.
"Why did you jump?"
Ah, the thousand bucks question. I played with my necklace, gazing at a stain on the floor that now seemed very interesting.
"I couldn't let you fall" I finally decided to say. "When I saw you falling, and your hammer crumbling, the only thought running in my head was that I was about to loose you, and I just reacted, you know. When I woke up after Kiddo saved us all, I realized that you –we, almost died, and I'd never have told you how I felt"
"Well, I'm happy and all, but don't do that again" he asked, hugging me.
"This is starting to sound like a fricking broken record" I rolled my eyes. "If I can, I won't. If I can't, fuck that"
"Still such filthy tongue" he teased, leaning closer. "Want me to wipe it clean?"
I instantly pushed him away.
"You pervert!"
He simply laughed like the dork he was, and I huffed.
"So, to resume everything: we're an item, but we don't tell those who weren't there to see it by themselves on the Ark. If Leverrier hears something, we deny it. And when that day comes…"
"We both do what we have to do without the other holding us back" he completed, still smiling. "Easy peasy"
I smiled back, but something told me we were both very wrong about it.
You won't know until then, right, Hime?
Hey, I didn't hear you since you left.
Sweetheart, I know when I'm not needed. I'm not that rude of a guy to watch such an intimate conversation.
Aw, that's sweet, Trickster! Th-
I won't do it again, though. Miss out on too much juicy details.
I take it back, you're the worst.
Love you too, Hime.
Hey, so here's a more traditionnal confession! Ary's starting to sort things out, the nightmares DO have a purpose, she told what she could to Allen -I was careful so as to not fucked up the plot too much- and Leverrier has now joined us.
Bastard.
Anyway, I hope that was to your liking.
Question: Who actually likes Leverrier?
Reviews!