Allen slumped down onto the other and he stayed that way for a while catching his breath. Meanwhile Kanda wrapped his arms around the exhausted one and smiled as he leaned his head back, also catching his breath.

As much as Allen hated to admit it, now that it was over and done with, he could see what Kanda was trying to do with all that teasing. Needing to say it didn't work very efficiently, but Allen felt warm knowing that his man had at least tried

….. Even if it was in his own sick and twisted way.

/

Chapter Eighteen

"I don't know what you're expecting from someone such as him. He has never done anything so far to distinguish himself from the crowd; in fact he has made it his business to avoid attention."

"That's only what you see on the surface. On the inside he is a remarkable individual."

"I just don't see it…"

"But you will."

"When?"

"It's not a question of when. But of how we plan to make him reveal himself."

/

"Lenalee Lee! What exactly are you doing?"

"I don't know what you are talking about."

The dark haired teen looked up at the teacher, meeting his eyes as he attempted to scold her. Despite this she held herself firm and never backed down. Even when his frown increased and he took a step closer, leering over her.

"I asked what it was you're doing. You are supposed to be in class at this time, and I hardly see you in a chair, or in a classroom."

"How do you know if I'm supposed to be in class or not Professor?"

The man clenched his fist in rage." Because it's my damn class!" he shouted

"Jeez…No need to yell." she said waving her hand dismissively. "Besides I've got a hall pass."

Lenalee stretched out her hand with the pass supporting defence with evidence before it got snatched out of her hand violently.

"Ow!" she jerked her hand back "What was that for?" she asked examining the scratch marks on her hand from where he had swiped the card. "Cut your damn fingernails once in a while will you?"

"Don't talk to me like that!" the man snarled "I'm your damn teacher, act like you have some respect for your elders. Why don't you."

She snorted before laying a hand on her hip in indignation. "One; you are my substitute teacher. Two; you bloody scratched me with those fingers, and I think I have a right to complain. Three; I have all the right in the world to give you no respect because you don't deserve it. You give me none and I'll give you none, you hypocrite."

"What did you say? You little bitch." he shouted his face turning almost purple with rage.

"You heard her…" a quiet voice coming from the end of the previously empty hall called.

Both Lenalee and the substitute turned around to stare at the approaching teacher.

"Professor Mikk." the other teacher grudgingly greeted his peer.

"Father."

The Portuguese teacher came to the fore prompting the other man to take a step away from the young girl. The man however, was able to still retain a grimace of anger on his face.

"What exactly do you think you were doing with Ms Lee here?"

"She was out of class." the old man revealed.

"She has a hall pass, and she is also a part of the student council. Is that not enough for you? Do you require some sort of other proof of her legitimacy? I know as a man of the church you are always looking for dishonesty in others…but surely you should not be too overzealous in your pious duties, seeing as you are a guest in this school, and you are supposed to be covering history."

Lenalee raised a hand to her mouth, attempting to smother the smile she had on underneath. Burrrnnn She though to herself.

Tyki Mikk was obviously much more than just a pretty face.

"Hn." was all the priest could respond as he walked away.

"Thanks for helping Me." she expressed her gratitude. "I don't see why brother allows that man to be a substitute here. He's as creepy as all hell."

"You're Welcome." Tyki replied. "Just make sure that you don't get caught again." he instructed.

Lenalee adopted a flawless façade of innocence. "What do you mean get caught?"

Tyki gestured to the forgotten pass on the floor. "I hardly think that our dear Father allowed you out of his class, especially as he was accusing of ditching. Next time use mine or your brother's signature. You should be glad he didn't take too close of a look at it."

Lenalee leant down and grabbed the card, How could she have forgotten she had forged the mans signature to have a reason out of his class. That could have potentially been bad if he had found out.

"…and Lenalee." Tyki spoke as he started walking back to class, looking over his shoulder at her. "Make sure that Allen-chan and Kanda clean up after themselves after themselves. Even if nobody uses these rooms much I prefer not to have to see….or smell the evidence of their activities."

Lenalee blushed furiously, glancing at the closed door behind herself. "You better thank me for this boys." she muttered embarrassed.

/

"Well I didn't know that we would take that long." Allen complained as Lenalee glared at him across the table.

They were sitting in a small café just down the road from where Allen lived and worked. It was a small place, but pleasant. It had dark wood panelling on the floor complemented by a palate of crimson and cream. Allen was particularly fond of this place as it was also owned by Anita, although it was run by another pseudo relative of his. Lulu, she often performed with them at the club, she felt having this day job made her life more fulfilled though. Women, Allen snorted internally.

"You should have." Lenalee hissed snarkily at him.

"What?" she Allen asked amused.

"You heard me…" She sneered at him. This just made Allen grin all the more.

He really didn't mean to tease his friend. But honestly she was asking for it. She had been in a bad mood from the time Allen and Kanda had emerged from their love nest, until that moment. Allen was just glad that his boyfriend had to go to Kendo practice this afternoon after school. If those two were around each other at the moment there would probably have been a fist fight…and Kanda was not above hitting a girl.

"I'm sorry I don't time my rendezvous for you then." he his smirk behind his cup of coffee.

Lenalee was still pissed at him it seemed because instead of just letting the subject drop she made another comment that usually wouldn't pass through her mouth.

"You should be!"

Allen raised his eyebrow. This was just getting ridiculous, she wasn't even thinking through her retorts first.

"What's really wrong?" he asked her genuinely concerned.

"Nothing." she snapped. "I'm just mad that I got attacked by the sub while you were taking your time rolling around with Kanda."

"Really?" Allen asked making sure to extend his vowels to convey his disbelief.

"Yes." she huffed crossing her arms and looking away a little.

Allen could tell just from this that she was lying to him. Even if she wasn't there was really no reason to be pissed with him because of this. She had volunteered herself to look out for teachers while Kanda cheered him up. They didn't even know she was looking out for them until after the fact. He sighed before deciding to change the subject. If she didn't want to talk to him about what was really bothering her, he wouldn't make her.

"Soooooo…." he began, making Lenalee look towards him He tried to think up something interesting to talk about. "What do you think about we should be doing about the cultural festival?"

Lenalee's eye immediately shone brighter and a small smile overtook her face. Allen could see the evil intent behind her expression and regretted bringing up the subject instantly.

"Have you got onto them yet?" she was asking

"Huh?" Allen asked not catching on to the subject.

"Have you got onto them yet?" she repeated

"Onto who?" he inquired, confused.

"The circus!" she stated loudly as if it was the most obvious thing in the entire world. "You have asked them right?"

Chuckling nervously Allen rubbed the back of his head. "Not exactly."

"Why not?" Lenalee's anger was about to come back full force it seemed with the gaze she was levelling at him.

"Because, you know how Kanda is. He's really protective and you seem to be forgetting that I used to date someone who's still with them." Allen shrugged. "…that and it didn't exactly end well between the two of us."

Now Lenalee was interested. This sounded an awful lot like gossip and if there was one thing she loved more then Yaoi, it was gossip. Seeing that Lenalee was not going to give up anytime soon Allen gave into her prodding.

"He was studying medicine when I met him." Allen started. "He was only working part time in the menagerie when I met him. I was having trouble with one of the lions I was supposed to be collecting for Cross and he saw me struggling. After helping me, we got to talking, and then we got to other things."

Allen took a sip of his coffee; not wanting it to get cold but also as a method of procrastination.

"A couple of months after we first met we were happy and busy, and seeing each other more often. He helped me with a lot of different things and he had started studying medicine properly. Not just animal medicine like he had been doing with the circus. He was studying to be a full doctor. He was talented at it too." Allen sighed at this point the memories saddening him.

"It was at that point that it all went wrong. His sister became really sick one day and when we took her to the doctors they said that they couldn't do anything aside from wait it out. They couldn't afford medicine regularly and they couldn't do much."

Lenalee had tears in her eyes at this point, being the sentimental female that she was, she watched Allen intently as he told the story.

"What happened? Did she get better?" she asked

"No." Allen told her. "She didn't. That's why Narein pulled away from me. A couple of weeks later Cross moved us as well. We haven't been in contact much since."

Allen hung his head, he hated recounted his past. It always made people shy away from him. He already got that enough as it was with his appearance.

To his surprise though he felt the lithe arms embrace him. He turned his head around awkwardly to see Lenalee hugging him with tears in his eyes.

"That's so SAD!" she wailed burying her head in his shoulder.

Allen just gave her a stare before rolling his eyes and patting her awkwardly on the back.

Suddenly, like a sniffer dog, the long haired girl lifted her head and gave him an irritated look. "You're hiding something from me aren't you?" she demanded

"….No" Allen muttered trying his best not to look guilty, and failing miserably.

"Tell me…" she growled

Allen groaned internally, why do woman almost always feel the need to meddle in things that are not, nor will ever be, their business?

"Tell me!" she demanded poking him in the ribs

Rubbing them resentfully all the while glaring at the now innocent looking girl he continued with his story.

"I was looking after his sister one night while he was doing some overtime work. He entrusted me with his sister's safety…" Allen took a big shaking breath. "…and I failed."

Lenalee was once again teary eyed. "What happened" she asked completely enthralled by the story.

"She collapsed." he stated simply. "She passed away a few hours later at hospital. Narein never really forgave me for letting her fall while under my watch."

He gave a resigned shrug before taking one more sip of his now cold drink. What he didn't notice was the hardening of the female's eyes and the way her hands slowly clenched on the table tops. As he did not notice these things it surprised him even more then it normally would have when she sprang out of her seat and whipped to face him.

"How is that your fault? She was sick and dying, she died because of that! Not because you were negligent or some other bull crap like that. People get sick and die, if he was a good doctor he should have realised that all by himself."

Allen's eyes widened at her infuriated tone and looked around at the people staring at them before shushing with his hands. "It's okay Lenalee, he was distraught and I'm over it. Really, I have Kanda now."

"That's no excuse! You're my friend Allen and you are not going to take that!"

"I'm not?"

"No, you are not! We are going to confront Narein and then if he doesn't give us a suitable response kick his ASS!"

"We are?"

"Of course." was the last thing she stated before promptly marching out of the café and onto the pavement. Forgetting the young boy she left behind his mouth agape and eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"What?"

/

Rei; "I'm bored of talking at the end of every chapter…of every story."

Allen; "Don't do it then."

Rei; "….."