midnightstar | A SURPRISE LENALEE APPROACHES; Command?

Despite all of everything the Black Order has been through, it was business as usual for the various teams. Lenalee and Allen were in one team with Miranda and a few Finders. Lucky them, their mission took them to the mountains - beautiful scenery, but cold weather. Fortunately they managed to find a small inn with vacancies, so they could stay indoors. Amazingly, Miranda was actually sleeping more peacefully than Lenalee at the moment.

Although after all of the scenarios and seeing all of the deaths in the war with the Earl and fighting the akuma, (...not to mention what she personally has been through), it really should come as no surprise that Lenalee's sleep was less than restful. While she managed to snatch an hour or two here and there of sleep, worries about her friends, her brother, and one exorcist in particular all contributed to making her nightmare particularly bloody and gruesome. When she jerked awake for the second time that night (or was it third, she wasn't sure), she knew she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep right away, so she silently slipped out of her room, padding down the hall. Maybe a glass of water would settle her nerves.

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Jerry nodded sagely, taking the response with all the seriousness and respect it deserves. He remembered hearing about that Komurin going on a rampage after drinking some coffee - it.... was a thought that he never thought he'd hear in his own head.

Reaching over, her ruffled Allen's hair gently, "Haha, I'd like to tell you it'll get easier...but.." He paused, "That'd be a lie. Especially when you've ..got it this -bad-."

Allen could only smile wryly. "Yeah I didn't think it would. Still it doesn't make me want to give up on this or anything." Allen confessed, his smile growing a little warmer along with a hint of longing.

"Hahaha I have it bad you think?"

"I suspected as much. The way you look at Lenalee and the way she looks at you says it plainly enough that you're both in for the long haul." Jerry grinned, "Once Komui stops deluding himself and accepts it, things will be easier for you. I'm sure he'll not send you separate places and keep you two together instead."

He laughs at the latter question, "Oh do you ever. I've never seen someone who has it quite as bad as you do. But you're adorable together, so I can understand why you have it as bad as you do."

"Ahahaha I don't expect that to happen any time soon. He seems determined to bury the very possibility from his mind right now." Allen chuckled helplessly as he helped Jerry roll the cart.

"Well I can't really help it. And even if I could I wouldn't want to. She's made me more happy than I've ever been in years." That was a phrase that really shouldn't have come from a youth like him or Lenalee. But that was the world they were a part of.

Jerry chuckled, "Well, perhaps you can consider this a trial to being together." Once they drew near the mess room, he pushed the door open to let Allen pass through. A few Finders still lingering glance up and then pointedly turn away. It was bad enough Allen was suspected to be the 14th, but he had a cute girlfriend that a number of them had had crushes on too! That just made things worse.

"Well, after everything you've been through," and he didn't know about his past, but he was referring to the present and future things, "You deserve to be happy, no matter what anyone says."

"That was my plan pretty much. Even though I do worry when a Komurin might just decide to have an accident when I'm right next to it or something like that." Allen said with a weary sigh. He naturally noticed the jealous glares from the Finders but paid it no heed. After all if they admired Lenalee so much and never tried to get close to her, they hardly had room to talk for someone who would brave those risks.

"Well it's not only about me. Lenalee is plenty deserving too"

Jerry scratched behind his neck, "Well... I'd like to tell you that that couldn't possibly happen, but with Komui... anything can happen," he chuckled. "But I know whatever happens, you'll be able to handle it."

"That's true; that girl's been happy enough with her brother here, or as happy as one can be, but with you she's positively radiant. To tell the truth if I thought you were bad for each other, I would have said so, and told Komui - but that's not the case." If he notices the glares Allen is getting, he's pointedly not paying it any mind.

"I know. I just hate troubling everyone with cleaning up the scrap and oil that will be left behind." Oh dear that smile of his carried a certain sharpness just now. Seemed Allen's grudge over the robotic creations had not been completely appeased.

"Hahaha well I'm glad I appear worthy in your eyes. THat means a lot." ANd he was not just paying lipservice.

Oh dear. "A...ahaha, no no..no trouble at all," he coughed, "After all it's Komui who sends those things after you in the first place." A pause, "Speaking of Komui, something just came to mind. Apparnetly Komui and Reever were working on some kind of project for Lenalee earlier."

"Haha, you're too kind to say, Allen. I'm a pretty good judge of character, I like to think." he hasn't been wrong yet!

"Yes I heard snippets about that. Do you know any details about what this project might be?" Allen quickly decided to ask one of the main grapevines in the Headquarters. After all rumors and gossip were side dishes to his great cooking in the cafeteria.

"Merely speaking the truth~"

"Yeah, apparently before Lenalee left she mentioned that she wanted to sound proof her room so she could sleep better. Come to think of it she -did- show up a little late that day. Although I can't imagine what noises she was hearing - but anyway, Komui decided he'd help her out and soundproof her room. Ah, I also hear he was planning on booby trapping the hallway on the way to her room again as well." He chuckled, "Not unlike when the Section Chief in China paid us a visit."

"Ah! I see now." Oh yes he did see. He was surprised she'd gotten on that right after he left though. As for the traps. Well those were designed to stop normal people. Allen had ways to bypass them. Even if he had to use Clown Belt to crawl along the ceiling over them.

"I can't say I'm surprised he would do that."

Jerry chuckled, "Sometimes I think if Komui put half as much attention to coming up with contraptions to protect the Order as he did to protect Lenalee, those AKUMA and Noah, and even the Earl, would run screaming." Even level 4's. "I'd like to see them go up against half of the Komurins you've had harass you." Maybe Komui would make an AKUMA eating Komurin! "Here, let me have that," he reached for the cart at ths point, since they'd already reached their destination.

"Ahahah Yes I can certainly see that. Even if they can't destroy Akuma outright." Not that he'd want that given his stance on the Akuma souls. Still in a perfect world he would definitely be even more helpful.

"Ah yes of course." Allen smiled and stepped aside to let Jerry take the cart back into the back of the kitchen.

Jerry grinned, pulling the cart along with him into its usual spot in the kitchen, "Sure I can't treat you to a little snack before you head back?" He grinned, "Of course I'm saving the chocolate cake for Lenalee, but if you want some cookies and don't mind them not being fresh out the oven..."

"...well if you put it like that it would be rude to refuse." If he were a dog, Allen's tail would be wagging furiously right about now.

Jerry managed not to laugh, but his grin did get wider. "I thought you might think so," he grinned, turning to the fridge and taking out a platter of cookies - oatmeal, chocolate chip and sugar cookies all piled neatly on a plate. Almost as if he -expected- Allen to come by for snacks!

Which isn't why Allen was there, but while he -was- there...

Allen gladly accepted the sweet treats. Much like the rest of Jerry's cooking, his pastries were absolutely to DIE for and sure enough it took only one to make him hum in delight.

Good puppy, er-- lad. "I don't think I'll ever get enough of seeing you enjoy what I make for you." Jerry grinned, leaning on the counter to watch Allen make short work of the munchies. "Do you want something to drink with that?"

One would expect him to ask for tea being the british gent that he is. However given how absolutely delighted he was right now, his true thoughts were seeping out.

"Some hot coco would be nice if possible..."

Jerry had been just about to put the pot on for tea too! But well, both drinks need hot water, and the hot chocolate -was- near the tea, so it wasn't exactly out of his way. "Marshmallows?" Everyone -- well, almost everyone -- liked marshmallows in their hot chocolate right?

"Yes please!" Allen was being spoiled rotten but he couldn't really bring himself to care at the moment

Totally spoiled rotten, and part of that was probably because Lenalee wasn't back yet. Jerry had to make up for it somehow, right? Of course, Allen just had to wait one more day and if they were lucky she'd be back in the morning.

Jerry was so kind to put up with that sort of thing. He really had no obligation to play this role. Unless someone pointed out the whole thing about what he would end up doing to pass time. That being just training either in his room or the training room distracting himself with practice.

Jerry just felt that Allen shouldn't spend ALL his time training. That and he genuinely liked seeing Allen devour (because there's really no other way to describe it) the food he made. It's rare to find someone who appreciated -everything- that was cooked.

Now if it were Lenalee who was waiting semi-patiently, train a little, maybe chat with Miranda in her room, or spend time with Komui the entire time. Well she'll have her chance to experience the anxiousness of waiting for a loved one to come home.

A loved one and not just a friend, that is. Komui could run circles around them in that department though.