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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"A--A-All night?!" He almost squeaked. The thought of that....was more aluring than he dared to admit. After all that night when she was acting like a cat and climbing all over him... Allen still remembered that quite fondly. Maybe too fondly. This...This was unbelievably dangerous. And yet what came from his lips was:
"If you really want to...you can."

No no no, Allen, you're supposed to say no to that! Because it was unbelievably dangerous. It was one thing when she wasn't herself, and she snuggled up to him when she thought she was a cat. If she stayed, while they were -this- cozy then...

W-well even that aside, what if she was seen leaving his room in the morning before they told her brother about their relationship? And yet... she was so tempted to take him up on the offer. So very tempted. "I...can?" No Lenalee. No NO. And NO.

Unfortunately Allen's capacity for self preservation had been the first thing to go out the window once Lenalee started blowing the fuse on Allen's mind. So rather than the logical answer.

"If you really want to. I certainly wouldn't mind." And that wasn't a lie. It was how he truly felt deep down about the possibility.

It was a good thing that Lenalee still had hers ..mostly! Though it was less self preservation and more not wanting to go further with him, without fessing up to Komui.

Wait...go further? She blushed fiercely at that sudden thought, though she tucked her head against his neck again, "I...... I want to. I really do but.. I think I ...we ...shouldn't. We might... I mean.." Erm. Moving on.

"I want to tell Komui about us before we....do ...anything else." So she should really pull away to get up while she could.

Like now.

Any day now Lenalee.

That was a very good thing. Because Allen was close to just letting go and just going with his instinct and desires that were growing by the moment. But wait. Lenalee just said....anything...else...!!!

His eyes immediately went wide and his face went completely beet red.

"O-Oh right....Yes you are right."

His reactions -really- weren't helping her here. She averted her gaze, flushed a dark pink in embarrassment at admitting that she.. not only did she not want to leave, but .. gah...!

"I...I think I should go back to my room.." Though considering they were to see her brother tomorrow, she'd be lucky if she got -any- sleep at all.

He just couldn't really help himself. After all Lenalee had made it past that mask he put up and since making their feelings known he hadn't been able to put it up in front of her again. SO now she had to deal with a bit more honesty regarding his feelings on the matter.

"Ummm yeah. I guess you should. I'll ...see you in the morning then?" He probably should have waited until she was off of him already.

Lenalee nodded, albeit a little nervously, worried about how the conversation will go tomorrow. And before she forgets, she gently tugged his arms away so she could get up and -oh so carefully- slide off of him. "Y-yeah. I'll..should I..come and get you or o ..or do you want to meet me.."

It was going to get very messy. Maybe it would be a good idea to let Reever know ahead of time so they have his backup in case things do go wrong. Either way that was for tomorrow to take care of. Tomorrow...

"Umm I think it might be better if I come to you once I finish my morning exercises." Since last time they definitely got sidetracked.

That would be an excellent idea. Hopefully they can get a hold of Reever beforehand. "Oh -- yes, all right.. that's. .. a good idea." Unless Komui's boobytrapped her hallway. "Well then..." She padded over to the door, glancing back towards him and ..trying very hard not to go back on her word. She really wanted to stay- "I'll see you in the morning." She said quickly, immediately darting out the door and shutting it behind her before she could give in to that desire to curl up with him in the bed and ....

Yeah, nooooo.

Allen watched her dart off through his door and kept looking at the door where Lenalee had been before he finally slumped back onto his bed looking up at the ceiling and only naturally, thinking of Lenalee once again. Tomorrow was going to be...probably his hardest battle yet.

Hardest battle and greatest reward, most likely. Lenalee practically flew down the hall to her quarters, probably drawing a few curious glances. Fortunately said curious people didn't see from what room she dashed out of.

She didn't know what was going to come about tomorrow - and not knowing made her nervous, frankly. So naturally, she didn't sleep as well as she could have. She got her full six hours of sleep, sure, but it was a restless sleep and she couldn't help but think that she'd have slept a lot better with Allen in the bed.

... let's...let's just not think about Allen and Beds...

Allen was little better off than Lenalee. Luckily though after his own six hours of sleep he had the one hour of morning exercise to ground himself and steel his nerves. After that was done, he washed up and dressed up in his casual attire before looking in the mirror and nodding at the reflection. It was time. Time to do something most would call walking into the lion's den willingly in a suit of armor made of steak while the lions were hungry.

But first he had to go get Lenalee so within a few minutes after that he was knocking on Lenalee's door.

Lenalee had plenty of nervous energy when she woke up. Though she passed on her morning exercise to trot to the kitchen and get some early brib--err, snacks for her brother's breakfast. Hopefully he wouldn't wake up cranky or wary when he saw them arrive together. She was pouring tea into cups when she heard the knock, and almost spilled the drink. "Ah! ..Come in...?"

"It's me, Allen." He announced before opening the door slooowly in case she wasn't ready to greet him. After all her voice sounded a little off so maybe she had forgotten that detail. Thankfully he just saw her getting some tea into cups so that sped his entrance up a bit since the last thin they wanted was someone snitching on him entering Lenalee's room before they went to confront Komui.

"Allen!" she was both delighted and nervous at his arrival - though she was mostly worried about how Komui would take the news. Hopefully without sic'ing his golems on Allen. "Come in~!"

Once he'd joined her inside, she smiled at him, though her hands were twitching a little as she poured the tea. From nerves, obviously. "Did you sleep well..?"

Allen quickly nodded and entered Lenalee's room taking a moment to get used to the surroundings. This was a room everyone other than him and Komui could only dream of entering.

"I did for the most part. And you?"

Lenalee nodded with a smile. "I did. For the most part." Unconsciously echoing his same response - that 'for the most part' all but implying that she would have rested better with him.

"So..." She picked up the tray with the cups of tea- enough for her, Allen, Reever and Komui, with a pot for refills. "... are you ready?"

He was so antsy that he missed that detail as well. But all the same he was committed to this course of action. It took every ounce bravery he had though.

"As ready as I will ever be. Lets go then."

Lenalee took a deep breath and let it out again. "Right!" Allen had more reason to be nervous than she did, honestly - and she had to remember that. She smiled in any event, stepping out of the room and bearing the teatray and its bounty.

And yeah, there were definitely golems along the way. Oh, they weren't obvious about watching Allen or anything, but they were. OH THEY WERE. There was one washing a spot on the wall, several puttering up and down the hall sweeping, another mopping behind them -- harmless, right?

The Golems were not being subtle at all at this point but Allen pretended not to notice. AFter all doing so would probably make him appear as if he was feeling guilty of something. It was best just to escort Lenalee up to the office ignoring every suspicious mechanized stare following the two of them.

Lenalee tries to ignore the golems herself - particularly the hovering ones that look similar to Timcanpy, only without the cuteness. "... I think Komui's going a little overboard..." Or maybe he was so bored and paranoid about Lenalee's relationship with Allen that... that train of thought didn't bode well. She puts it aside, balancing the tray with one arm as she knocked on Komui's door.

"Komui? Are you awake? I brought some tea!~"

"Come iiiiiiiin~!" Komui sounds a little too happy - but then again, it is Lenalee.

Reever was present also apparently, as a few seconds after Komui sang out to his sister, the door swings inward to let the pair in. "Good morning Lenalee, Allen~!" Yay tea -- or, well, coffee for the researchers.

"ahahaha I'm sure there's nothing to worry about." Boy did his laughter sound forced even to him. But there was nothing he could really do about this situation. Komui for once was more or less in the right to suspect something was going on. Even so he wasn't going to back down now.

"Good morning, Komui. I um hope you slept well." Allen answered back before he let Lenalee quickly deliver her elder brother's breakfast and tea.

"I did, thank you Allen!" Ah, bliss, steaming hot tea poured from his lovely little sister's lovely little hands. "We've located several potential Innocence locations - of course since we're so shortstaffed right now we'll have to send everyone out on solo missions. But it should be safe! Probably."

Wait a second. "Hold on, you don't usually visit this early in the morning. Is there something I can do for you?" Squinting suspiciously at the silver haired Exorcist, as Lenalee served up his drink with a nervous smile.

Solo missions huh? That actually didn't make him all that happy on the inside. Still his feelings were secondary to his duties as an exorcist. But his feelings were what had him bracing for the storm that was about to hit. Sooner rather than later too as Komui picked up on his unnatural visit.

"Ah well actually there's...a good reason for that." That answer was probably vaguer than he ought to have made it.