Chapter 4

Lenalee's POV

Silence had engulfed the room during these past few days after Misty's funeral with no word spoken from any of us. Luckily, Nina knew a priest in the town that was nice enough to give service at the funeral and that she didn't have to worry about paying for the service. It seemed hard for Nina to bear of losing a friend she knew for sometime, but Allen… felt worse.

When Allen and I first entered Nina's home and at the sight of Misty, I never knew of Allen's relationship with Misty. I guessed they were siblings at first or maybe his mother? Until I knew the truth of their relationship when Misty gave an explanation sometime before she died. I was happy for Allen that he had someone dear before the Black Order. I know for certain that there are some things I don't know about him, but would like to. However, I…don't want to hurt him in any way.

Allen and I stayed with Nina for a while to be conscious whether she will ask for Misty's return. When a loved one dies and leaves his/her other, whether between siblings, spouse, or parent and child, he/she may become desperate to see them again resulting for the summoning of the Millenium Earl. In the end, the one who called has a tragic fate of becoming an akuma. We can't risk for any more akuma to be made and innocent lives lost.

The hands on the clock on the wall clicked to every second as seconds and minutes passed by. Nina was the first to break the silence and gave Allen a gentle smile.

"I remembered that Misty-san always liked to talk a lot about you and Mana, Allen. You were always her little brother that she never had ever since her mother was murdered."

Murdered? I wonder how Misty's mother was murdered.

"Murdered? How?" Allen asked. Nina shook her head and shrugged a little.

"I'm not sure and never asked Misty." Certain possibilities ran through my mind of how she died. I glanced at Allen and he seemed to wonder too. I quickly shook the thought off my mind. Another minute of silence went by until Nina stood up from the cushion chair.

"I just remembered something Misty wanted me to give you, Allen." With that, she left towards upstairs and returned a few minutes earlier. She handed him a book. "Its your adoptive father's diary. When the time was right, you are to be entrusted with it."

Allen took the diary in his hands and stared at it, his eyes widened in almost surprise. I stared at him and guessed what he was thinking, or maybe wondered.

"Thank you, Nina. I'll cherish it," Allen said, a soft smile graced his lips as he hugged the book close to his chest.

The next day, we gave our goodbyes to Nina and thank her for her generosity before leaving for our mission. And the following few days after retrieving Innocence and delivering a few objects and messages to certain people, we returned to the Black Order. Of course, we had a few encounters with level 2 and 1 akuma on our mission.

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I knocked on Allen's door and heard a "Come in!" I turned the doorknob and found Allen on his bed reading. He was leaning against his pillow for back support and his legs up with his bare feet flat on the sheets.

"Allen-kun, you're reading your father's diary?"

He replied with a nod. "I just read about when he found me in the streets like a...basket baby, performing in the circus, traveling to all sorts of places, me playing with Misty, and..." As he looked at a certain part of the book, his cheeks flushed and he seemed embarrassed.

"And what?" I took a few steps towards the side of his bed. I gave him a curious look that he quickly looked at me before adverting.

"N-n-nothing…."

"I hope you don't mind reading…you know," I urged. Seeing him squirm on his bed nervously and a soft blush on his cheeks made me curious.

"Uhh…oh….um…here, you read," Allen stammered.

"You sure?" I was concerned for a moment since I know it was rude to read someone else's diary whether they were dead or not. If that owner was dead, it was only right for their loved one to read it.

"Yeah…" He handed me his father's diary.

"Misty, a friend of mine, once told me that Allen would marry someone beautiful as a butterfly. She was known to be psychic and a gypsy. I couldn't help but to agree with her. When I look at him, I can tell that he would marry someone like as what Misty said."

I stared blankly at the paragraph after reading it out loud. Butterfly…. I wonder whom Allen's father and Misty refer to as Allen's special someone… A sudden thought crossed my mind of hearing what some of the members of the Black Order call me.

"Um… Lenalee…. Can I….have the diary back?"

My mind returned to reality as I heard Allen's voice. "Oh…of course." As I placed the diary on his lap, without hesitating I gave him a chaste soft kiss on his cheek. I turned on my heels and headed towards the door, opening it. "If you need anything, just give me a call. Nii-san must be crying for his coffee by now." The sudden image of my brother entered my mind for a moment before shaking it off. I gave him a wink before closing the door after me.

My mind suddenly flashed back when I kissed Allen, my cheeks flushed a tint of hue. I fingered my lips at the realization, my heart just skipped a beat. I…honestly didn't mind and he is cute, I admit….

"Lenalee! Wait!"

I spun my head to glance back at him as I stopped in my tracks for him to catch up. I had not walked far from his room since I left so he wasn't completely out of breath. I noticed a tint of hue on his cheeks as he adverted his eyes from mine, and boots on his feet.

"Let's….walk together…"

"Sure, you can help me deliver coffee to the Science Dept," I said with a soft smile. Allen returned with his own smile. I admit his smile is cute and sometimes charming.

"Oh and Lenalee…."

"Hmm?" Just as I turned to glance at him, I felt his lips pressed against my cheek. As soon as his lips parted, both of our cheeks flushed, and our eyes adverted from each other.

"Um…"

It was silent between us for a moment as we continued to walk down the hallway. I slightly glanced at him. If I fall in love with him when we're in the middle of a battle with the Earl…. I'm afraid to hurt Allen. Wait…love? And this feeling in my heart and stomach… could I be? The sudden thought scares me and…

"Lenalee, can you promise me something?"

I snapped back into reality as Allen called my name. "What?" He gently held my hand as he kept his gaze on me. A warm smile was plastered on his face, which almost made my heart skip a beat.

"Promise me that you would always stay by my side."

I returned with a smile as I entwined my fingers with his. At that moment, I knew everything would be all right and our tale would end with a bright future.

"I promise."

The End