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Chapter 10: Rot

Tyki's POV

Tyki took off his jacket and laid it neatly across the bed, plopping down next to the boy's waist and reading a book. Or, at least, he tried to. His eyes scanned the page but would frequently drift towards the boy and his sleeping face. He'd look at the book, think about reading, and look at the boy. After repeating this several times, he finally gave up on concentrating and plopped the book down on the bed, taking a cigarette instead to keep his hands busy and his mind occupied. After a couple of puffs, his eyes drifted once more to the boy and he couldn't help but smile.

Allen lay in his pale, white bed with his equally pale hair sprawled across the pillow. With the length of his hair and the similarity in color to the covering, Tyki honestly couldn't tell where his hair met the pillow, at some points. It was as if his hair was apart of the pillow. The noah pet the top of the ex-exorcist's head, taking in the softness and... waking him up. Oops.

Allen's POV

The warmth on the top of his head woke him from his sleep and, after opening his eyes, he slowly began to register who was in front of him. Petting him.

After several blinks, Allen's face caught fire and he let out a surprised screech, scrambling across the bed, away from the noah. "Tyki Mikk! What do you think you're doing?!"

Tyki blushed slightly and looked as though he'd just been caught red-handed doing something he wasn't supposed to. After stumbling and stuttering over his words, completely out of character for the overly-confident noah, he looked as though a light bulb went off over his head and he grabbed something red out of the pocket of his jacket, handing it to the embarrassed boy. "Here, I got you this."

The ex-exorcist looked at it carefully and with confusion. The first thing that came to mind was, "Why would he get me anything? He's the enemy." After that, came the obvious realization that it was a beautiful, ruby necklace. He had to hand it to him, the noah knew beauty, despite his blood-lust. Of course, this is the color of blood. Ready to dismiss the gift bluntly, he looked back at the noah.

The older man was watching him carefully, clearly curious as to whether he'd like it, though he tried not to make it obvious. The earlier guilt the boy had felt for disrespecting the noah returned when he remembered how innocent the noah looked, at some points. Maybe this really is a genuine act of kindness...

He looked back at the necklace once more before unclipping it and attempting to put it on, himself. The thing was too tight for him to see what he was doing, so the noah held his cigarette in his mouth, came up behind him, and put it on for him with ease.

"Th-thank you", the boy stuttered, putting a hand over the necklace. It fit perfectly around his neck, hugging it just enough to where he could feel it but not too much to where it choked him. He turned to the mirror in his room and glanced once at the shadow before ignoring it and looking at the necklace. It really was pretty and it perfectly matched the ribbon he used to tie his hair up. It almost seems... thoughtful... "It's nice."

"I'm glad you think so", the noah smiled, warming the boy's heart thoroughly.

"Did you get this last night?"

"Yeah, on the way home, actually." He rubbed the back of his head and smiled sheepishly.

"How late were you out, anyway? I went into your room at about midnight, I'd say. What could have taken you so long?"

"Oh~, did you miss me, Shounen?"

"N-no! It's just..." His face must have been lit up as bright as a Christmas light, by now. "The thought of you going out and causing trouble doesn't sit right with me..."

"I just had to deal with some... stuff..."

"Stuff? What did you do, Tyki Mikk?"

A drop of sweat rolled down the noah's grey temple as he panicked. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb! You're a noah! I know you were up to no good!"

"Back to that, are we?" He laughed nervously.

"Ty-Ki~!"

"Allen~", a voice squealed. The two looked over at the door and watched as Road pushed a cart filled with food into the room. "I brought you food~!"

"Ah, that's okay, but thank you. Me and Tyki were-", he began.

"Actually", Tyki cut in, rather loudly. "I just realized I have something to do. Bye~!"

The noah grabbed his things and flew out the door, ignoring Allen's protests. After the door slammed shut, they both stared at it in silence for several seconds before Road turned to look at her younger friend and asked, "Tyki sure is weird, huh?"

In response, Allen only grunted and pouted. That jerk...

Tyki's POV

The noah of pleasure slammed the door behind him and leaned against it, sighing heavily. That boy is persistent... He reached into his pocket and pulled the silver button out, turning it over in his hand and looking at the words engraved into it with a smile. He's fun, though. I'm pleasantly surprised at how happy it makes me to see that he enjoys such a simple gift.

He heard someone approaching him and stood up straight, putting the button into his pocket quickly but carefully. "The Earl is summoning you", Lulubell said, monotonously.

Tyki sighed in frustration. "Again? Is it about last night? I think I've been lectured enough, thank you."

"No, you've got work and he won't be happy if you take too long, so I suggest you hurry."

"Work?"

Tyki's POV

"I hear you have work for me", Tyki asked, coming to a halt in front of the Earl, who sat in front of a lit fireplace.

"Yes, I want you to kill that inspector, Malcolm Lvellie. Can I trust you to do it and do it right?"

"This is a little random. May I ask what brought it up?"

"That's for me to know, Tyki Mikk."

"I have no objections."

"Good, you can leave immediately. Do what you want once you're finished. As long as you know when to withdraw, I have no objections to you causing drama, today."

Oh, but you did, last night?!

Allen's POV

"Yes, Lord Millenium", Allen heard Tyki say, from the otherside of the door. He heard footsteps coming towards it and bolted down the street and to his room.

Once there, he summoned an ark gate and stepped through it. He hated Lvellie with every fiber of his being, but he couldn't let Tyki kill him. If nothing else, his friends would certainly butt in and be killed. He couldn't let this happen.