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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WHo knew being a shorty compared to some of the others would be handy like that? Although Allen had been gaining a few inches in height recently, the signs of his growths spurt finally kicking in. After allhe was a few centimeters taller than Lenalee now.

"You have a point. Okay lets fine some goods to take back~"

She wouldn't want him to be TOO much taller than her. It'd make it difficult to kiss him if she couldn't reach him~! "Right!" The good thing about Jerry being a cook is that he wouldn't be picky about what they found. "There don't seem to be any fruit trees around, but I bet we can find some herbs... and failing that we can go back to the beach and..and fish."

He wouldn't want that either. Staying within reach of Lenalee was now more important than outgrowing Kanda so he can't use the beansprout name for him anymore. Allen smiled softly when Lenalee listed off their options.

"Ohhh fishing would be a definite good fall back plan. I can just use Crown Clown to grab all the fish."

Ooh, she didn't think about that. "You might catch more than fish if you do that -!" He might catch a swordfish or a shark or something! Okay so she's exaggerating, but it's just to tease him. "Ah, I think I see something..!" Regrettably, this means she has to step away from his side to get a better look. A small patch of wild onions -- very small, granted, but .. hrm.

"The soil is pretty good too.. when we come out here again we should gather some. Jerry could start a garden in the Order." Kinda of. But home growing food is a good thing!

"I'm sure Jerry wouldn't mind some extra exotic ingredients to cook with." Allen laughed with Lenalee before she spotted something. He didn't resist her pulling away even if it did already feel a little bit lonely.

"It would certainly be worth bringing it up with Komui as well. IT would also give people something else to do that isn't related to the war. Even if we set it up with people taking turns per day."

Lenalee gave Allen a surprised glance, that immediately melted into a brilliant grin. "Yes! You're absolutely right - Komui will love the idea!" Probably..! "It could be therapeutic and relaxing for people coming back from missions. You're a genius, Allen~!"

He's going to get allll the credit too. Build him up even more to Komui, and then when he finds out the truth maybe he'll be lenient. Or hey, maybe he'll surprise them and not flip out! Hm... she should have brought a bag to carry all the things in. WELL. Lessons learned for next time.

Wow could she radiate any more happiness than that? Actually she likely could. Lenalee had often surpassed his expectations of her. This was no exception. Still it felt good to be praised by the girl who had claimed his heart for her own.

"I wouldn't go so far as calling me a genius but if you think it's that good of an idea then lets eep it." Seeing her hands quickly become full though he quickly activated crown Clown.

"Put them in my cape. I can control how it's folded and everything to make a backpack."

Lenalee gathered a number of the fresh vegetables, even finding some leeks. Though Allen comes to the rescue again by offering his cape. "Are you sure?" She asked, getting to her feet, "You're going to smell like onions and earth-" actually, maybe not. But she took him up on the offer anyway. If he did end up smelling of onions, she wouldn't mind. Much.

"I am. Crown Clown will simply get refreshed once I stop activation." Not a single beat or moment of hesitation as she dumped the harvested food into the makeshift pack.

That was a relief. SHe didn't want to inconvenience him with smelling of onions. Timcanpy might chew on him. "Then there should be enough room for the fish too, if we stop by the beach on the way back, right?" Since he can control it that much.

He'd still offer to help even without Crown Clown being a useful means for transport. Honestly there were little things he would say no to if Lenaee asked him for them. Maybe his bias was a tad strong but then where was the harm in that really?

"That sounds like a plan. I have the room for it."

Lenalee smiled, nodding quickly, "Perfect! Jerry is going to be so surprised!" If she knew the power she potentially had over Allen --wells he still wouldn't abuse it, but she'd be touched that he'd grant her so much. Definitely no harm in that bias. There was little she'd deny of him to, for that matter.

"Let's see what else we can find." Exploring with him was actually kind of exciting~

"I can't wait to see what he'll make with the ingredients we bring back~" Allen laughed, quickly falling back in step with Lenalee, his eyes scanning the surroundings for the most part but mostly coming to rest on Lenalee, finding her joy and excitement absolutely precious.

"I bet it'll be a huge banquet in your honor," Lenalee chuckled. When she wasn't herb hunting, she was happy to wrap her arm around his, consciously aware of his attention and blushing as a result.

"Mm... I see some mushrooms, but.. I don't remember which ones are edible." Hrm. Well they COULd pick some and ask Jerry anyway, but she'd hate to waste his time if they were poisonous.

"I should hardly take all the credit. You're helping too after all." ALlen insisted, shaking his head before leaning in close to nuzzle briefly against her temple with a content sigh as he let himself soak in the moment.

"Might as well pick one of each. That way we know what's available on the island."

Feeling him nuzzling like that almost made her forget what they were searching for. "Hmm, I guess that's the best option." But.. but that means she had to move away from him again. Urrgh. Definitely not the part of the outing she liked.

Still, she slipped away to kneel in the dirt and carefully pluck said mushrooms up from the ground, asking a completely random question. "Allen, .. have you ever thought about after the Earl is defeated?" And the Noahs too. Particularly Road. ... Grumble Road Stealing the first kiss grrrr... Ahem.

He wasn't trying to be distracting on purpose. He just did what he felt like doing. As simple as that. Though there was no denying the effect he clearly cast over Lenalee and her focus.

"After the Earl is defeated? Well I am ashamed to admit I didn't really think about it." That was going to change though. Especially now that him and Lenalee had stepped over that particular threshold in their relationship.

She couldn't complain about that. Though it did make her want to stop to just sit and cuddle with him. "Really? Well, there's no time like the present, right?" And now they had even more reason to win.

She padded over to him to slip the mushrooms into the Crown Clown backpack. "I think..my ideal.." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, it's to be able to stay with Komui..and you. Especially if we could leave the Order." It might be her home -right now- but...

Maybe after they gathered a bit more they could take a break in the middle of the woods just to relax with one another. Allen certainly had no reason to say no.

Her ideal however, caught him a bit off guard. After all he expected her to want to leave with Komui once everything was said and done. But now he was added to that dream.

"W-Wait are you suggesting I come live with you two?" He would love that idea. Komui he wasn't so sure at the moment.

She tensed, suddenly getting as red as he was. Was that... too presumptuous of her? To assume he'd want to stay with her and her brother? To just assume he'd want to be with her when everything was said and done - what if they weren't still together then? That was too heartbreaking a thought.

"Uh...well...if... if you'd want to... you'd be welcome to.." She said after a moment, scuffing her foot and glancing aside.

Komui would be another issue, but she didn't think he'd refuse Lenalee's request to let Allen stay with him - especially since Allen didn't have anywhere else to go.

"There's no way I wouldn't want to!" he said blurting his honest heart out in the open like that. Even showing some of the mannerisms of the brat he'd once been. "I mean ummm..." Wow he'd slipped up considerably just then and there was no way to smooth things over.

Whoah. It was a good thing she wasn't holding anything because she'd have dropped it with how strongly he insisted on that. That was a whole lot of honesty right there. She stared at him in silence for a moment, covering her mouth with her hands.

Again, whoah. But it made her happy to hear it - beyond happy, and not just knowing that even if everyone else went their separate ways, she'd have the two most important people at her side still. "Allen.."

He was feeling just a bit exposed after that confession and it was a feeling he'd kind of forgotten. That being said he could feel the joy behind Lenalee's gaze after he'd answered so vehemently.

"L-Lenalee..."

Fortunately, Lenalee snaps out of her stunned stare, automatically stepping forward to pull him into a hug, leaning against him, "I'm so glad..!" She breathed, nuzzling against his neck. "I was worried you...wouldn't want to come with us." Worried she was admitting things too suddenly for him.

Before he knew it, Allen found himself wrapped in those slender but strong arms again. Arms that were just as much his home as the Order. No. Now that was even more his home. Not just the Order but Lenalee herself.

"I would never be against it. Though we have to get to work convincing your brother." Then again the man would probably surprise them at least on that front.