CHAPTER FOUR: That's the Point?
"Oh fuck..." Allen said blandly, as he slowly (dramatically) dropped the letter in his hand. He thoroughly regrets checking his mail today. 'I could have avoided this...' he thinks '...I mean really, I could have, everyone's 'mailbox' is in this mailroom so if I just avoided the mailroom—". His thoughts are interrupted by a loud bang. Oh yes, lest Allen forget that he wasn't the only person here at the moment, he was now looking at the very angry face of Kanda Yuu. "That damn old man..." he heard the other mumble under his breath (though not quite under enough), and since it was decidedly only Kanda's business, Allen focuses on his own problem. His (current) step-father was coming for a visit. HE WAS COMING FOR A VISIT.
'He's probably gonna dump another credit card bill on me...'Allen thinks, because it's one of the only few sane reasons. That his step-father missed him was out of the question. There were definitely some monetary issues involved here. But Allen couldn't deal with that now; he just bought Kanda THAT DAMN DOOR. He can't deal with any bills at the moment he couldn't—
The sound of the door being banged shut makes Allen flinch, and temporarily snaps him out of his inner panic. Seeing as how the letter Kanda received was now a crumpled piece of paper in the trash can, it seemed that he wasn't the only one with problems. But he didn't have time to think about other people's problems, he had his own situation. Maybe he could be lucky enough to convince the manager at Starbucks to give him his pay-check early... Yeah maybe he'll try that? But they said the manager was creepy, maybe it wasn't such a good idea…But when it went right down to it, Allen decided that he had no choice, this was the only way, he thought. He had no other source of income, and he did not dare touch what was left of his inheritance from Mana (his first step father) to help THAT GUY. No, Cross Marianne, that step father of his, is not worthy of having the benefit of being helped by money that was once Mana's (or at least that's how Allen sees it).
So this is what leads to Allen nervously asking Rhode, that girl he works with at Starbucks, how he could possibly ask "The Earl" for an early pay-check. "Oh!" Rhode replies "No problem! I'll just ask him for you! He's sure to give it if it's me..." and before Allen can say thanks she adds "...But you'll have to go on a date with me". At first the Englishman is a tad surprised, but he quickly (forcefully) regains composure and replies, while beaming brightly "Sure... and thanks". Rhode, smirking, replies in a dainty tone "Oh no, thank you!" and Allen somewhat thinks he might regret this later on, but quickly, he dismisses the thought. He's handed a tissue with a cellphone number, and he knew it could only be Rhode's, so he punches it in his own mobile and promises to text her later (so they can arrange that agreed on date).
A bit tired Allen ends his shift in a relatively normal fashion, and now he decides to go home. But as he was about to clean his station, he remembers something weird 'Kanda didn't get his third Vanilla frappe...' he thinks, and so he whips one up briskly, and while paying accordingly he gives out a sigh, then he quickly proceeds to cleaning. For those of you who are wondering, how on earth Allen Walker manages school and this, it's just that this is only Saturday job, when the regular barista's not around. Tyki Mikk (yes that's his name) is usually busy on Saturday, Rhode says because they needed a 'barista slash Starbucks boy', so that's why they hired Allen. Though the Englishman didn't quite understand, he decided to leave that be. He let himself think '...Technically it shouldn't really concern me'.
When Allen steps into his own apartment, he wastes no time to knock on 'that door'. A moment passes, (or maybe even two), before the door opens, and he sees Kanda Yuu. "What do you want?" he says, looking pissed, and then he sees the drink in Allen's hand "Oh shit" he says, looking like he genuinely forgot. He quickly grabs the drink from the Englishman, and mutters a barely discernible "Thanks". Allen shrugs as if to say "You're welcome", and then 'that door' is closed again.
It's the day after when it hits Allen, that there was something terribly wrong. Kanda forgot about Vanilla frappe? Now that was downright impossible. Was something amiss? Was it the letter he received, that same day Allen learned of his step-father's visit? Maybe it was, and in case you're wondering, that's not why Allen thinks something was terribly wrong. It's actually the fact that he cares about his almost roommate's dilemmas, that's what. It was off, wrong, and scary. Then Allen thinks his impending financial doom is just getting to his head, yes, that's it.
...
"What are you two doing down here so early in the morning? And you came together!" Lavi asks, grinning
Allen shrugs "I'm waiting for my step-father" he says.
Kanda twitches slightly, but he doesn't answer. Lavi turns to him in the most exaggerated way possible, looking like he won't accept silence as an answer.
"None of your business" well it wasn't silence, but it wasn't the kind of answer Lavi wanted
"Aww come on Yuu—" but Lavi is cut of, by the sound of a knock on the glass door. Kanda and Allen visibly stiffen. Lavi, being the doorman, opens the door.
"You could have opened it yourself..." the man in glasses comments
The red-haired man rolls his eyes "When there's a doorman you don't just 'open it yourself'."
"Uhm... Mornin'... dad..." Allen shifts uncomfortably as he greets the tall and (almost) intimidating red-head "Is he the friend you were talking about?"
His step-father looks indifferent when he shrugs and says "I don't think 'friend' is really the word for it, but whatever. We met in the army."
"Ah..." Allen says looking thoroughly uncomfortable "...I see"
"It's nice to meet you, I'm Froi Tiedoll" and then he offers a handshake, which Allen takes "I'm here to meet with my son" he says adds "Oh!" and it happens, once again, ridiculously, in slow motion "There he is!" Allen knew he should have expected it (seeing as most dramatic turns in his life happened in slow motion) when the direction to which they were all led to turn to was the one in which Kanda was situated, inevitably making them all meet his sharp glare, which was, apparently, mostly directed to the person who is presumably his father.
"So..." Kanda says, his mouth twitching slightly "...Why did you come here?" of course, this question is directed to Froi Tiedoll
"Why what other reason could there be except I missed you?" and right away Allen realizes that Kanda's 'problem' was this, and it was, amusingly (?), completely opposite to his own dilemma
"Oh don't give me that shit old man..." Kanda says, and when his 'father' goes over to hug him, he struggles to pry him away, all while incessantly telling him to go home (spouting curses here and there).
"Take me to your apartment" Allen turns towards his own 'father' and makes a face in response to the command "...And I want beer, or gin... Anything alcoholic"
"...Right..." and then after taking a deep breath, Allen asks "...Why... are you here?"
"What? I'm not allowed to visit my son now?"
"Ah... well... I mean... WHY?"
And for a while there is semi-silence (semi because Kanda is still continuing the one-sided argument with his stepdad).
"Because I heard Tiedoll's son was your roommate" he looks toward the enraged Japanese man "You can't honestly tell me that isn't an issue"
Allen tilts his head to one side "Concerned?"
"Yes" quick and honest (?)
"REALLY?" quick and skeptic
"What am I gonna do when you two destroy the place when you try to kill each other? How am I gonna pay for repairs?"
"I seriously think it's gonna be me who's gonna end up paying that bill"
"I was assuming that he'd succeed in killing you"
"And why wouldn't Kanda pay for the damages?"
"Just look at the bastard, does he LOOK like he'd pay?"
Allen glances at Kanda once, thinks about his own experiences and replies "No he doesn't" and he doesn't need to add 'point taken'.
"Your room, now" and though he complied, Allen rolls his eyes.
...
"Well now, isn't this nice?" Allen is convinced that Froi Tiedoll is the better 'father', despite what Kanda tells him (or rather, because of what Kanda tells him (but really, when you hear him mumble under his breath about his father under his breath you sort of (kind of) feel obligated to say it's 'despite' what he says, even though it's obvious that to other people what he's complaining about is a good thing)).
"The tea is" Allen says quite insipidly, feeling a bit uncomfortable at the moment
Kanda snorts at that, and mumbles something incoherent.
Froi Tiedoll laughs "Yuu was never a fan of English tea..." he pretends to whisper to Allen though everyone else hears it "He thinks Japanese tea is undoubtedly superior"
For a moment there is just the sound of Allen's dearest step father spiking his tea (the liquor went 'glug glug glug' as it fell into the tea cup). But then, predictably, Allen begins to roar in laughter.
"It's so like you" the Englishman comments "We don't have a single conceding opinion do we?"
Kanda smirks, to most people, he would look defiant (that's just how it is) "What kind of idiot would realize that only now?"
Allen's mouth parts in surprise (you could say that it was hanging open (though nobody present says or thinks so, this is still something you could say... (the disclosing of this information could be avoided, however these are the very things going on in Allen Walker's mind, quaint is it not?))).
"Vexing isn't he? He's been this difficult ever since he was a child, adorable really" Tiedoll comments idly, sipping his tea "Why, I remember the day I adopted him so clearly, he told me 'Go to hell you senile old man, I ain't going nowhere with you'... Ah, such fond memories..." and he seems to really be fondly reminiscing, which to Allen, was weird
"And I still think that." Kanda snaps "But I'd change that last part. Why the hell are you here old man? More importantly, why wasn't I ever informed that this perverted old man's son is the bean?"
"You knew him even before today?" Allen directs the question at Cross Marianne, who just shrugs and replies "We met once" and Allen knows that's all it takes to get a nickname from Kanda
"Well I didn't know you were so acquainted" Tiedoll laughs, then strangely his eyes widen "Yuu, that painting, you kept it!" he laughs heartily, pointing at the said painting hanging on a wall "I thought for sure you'd throw it away"
"Tsch" It seems unfinished, but Kanda stands and mumbles something about taking his empty tea cup to the kitchen (to presumably, dump it in the sink).
"Want any snacks?" Allen asks, both of them now, and when the two of them nod, dismissively (in different kinds of ways), he huffs and proceeds to the kitchen as well.
There he sees Kanda, leaning onto the ledge of the kitchen sink. "You make it clear that you don't like English tea..." Allen makes sure he sounds teasing, when Kanda just shrugs in reply, he eyes the Japanese man curiously. "Your dad seems nice..." he opens the refrigerator, reaches for the cupcakes he's been saving "...Oh, but you probably think he's horrible, you being who you are and all..." then he pops them into the oven toaster, sets the heat to high, the time to three minutes.
"Froi Tiedoll..." Allen turns his gaze from the heating cupcakes to the speaking Kanda "... is a great man...But that's something he should never know about" and he throws Allen a cold look before pushing away from the ledge and heading back out to the living room.
'Ah...' the Englishman thinks '...that's weird' but then he shrugs, and decides it's none of his business.
...
(Original A/N:This chapter was supposed to be longer buuut, I opted to strive for consistency, so even if this is longer than the usual chapters, it's still not exceptionally long... anyway... I know this fic is getting really weird... but... Well... I guess in a way that's the point of the story, haha! Sooo... that's that? Thanks to everyone who is (still) reading! ^^)
A/N after edit: So it seems that this story wasn't as bad as I thought it was, aside from the major changes in chapter one I haven't really done anything to drastically change any of the chapter…. SO FAR