author's notes: It's been a while since I've submitted anything but yeah… I just "got a hold" of this new idea. I am wanting to finish "Knowing You" very soon, as I don't like the sight of it un-finished. So please look forward to both things.

disclaimer's notes: Everything is owned by Hoshino-sensei, unless stated otherwise.

…..

IN BLOOD.x

(Allen x Lenalee)

STORY I - chapter one: Black Wind

…..

"Are you scared of death?"

It was the one question which I remember, clearly asking Allen. All he did would smile faintly at me and look away, and perhaps speak a few words. What kind of words? Those words, he'd speak, were words of how he wanted to die, knowing that he was loved and had actually been good use to the world.

However, he made it clear that he was afraid of death.

He told me of that time when he was sent to the Asia Department in my home country, China, when he had "lost" his Innocence and how he awoke in bed one day shaking with fear, tears falling from his eyes.

The hands of death, they had clutched around his heart one night but a flint of his untamed Innocence was at least able to keep his spirit attached to whatever was left of him. He told me that he never told anyone the details of his injury.

However, he told me.

Why?

At that time before, I didn't know. I was only confused.

…..

"Allen, where are you!" I shouted out holding myself from the cold. The wind was amazingly stronger than that of the average storms would receive on a regular basis. Millions of snowflakes, each with an intricate detailed designs flew in packs. In other words, heavy snow. I was beginning to worry., the mission itself, was at all frustrating.

Then there it was. A black butterfly with tiny bits of blue, fluttering through the ranging, cold climate as if it was accustomed of doing so everyday. How would such a tiny, delicate, organism sustain itself in such conditions? It wasn't normal.

I stopped in my tracks, eyes following it closely, wind curling around my ears, still unceasingly cold. "What the—" my thoughts were interrupted as I reached out to touch it.

I heard a scream.

"Lenalee!"

At that instant I forgot about the strange butterfly, doing about in the cold. It was Allen, I was sure of it. Being sure of who it was, I was not sure where he was. Un-embracing myself, I yelled out into the snow, "Allen! Where are you!" I ran four paces ahead of me, waiting for an answer when I stopped. "Allen!" I called for a second time.

Then I heard him. "Lenalee, I'm—"

"—here." The sudden change in tone and pitch confused my ears. Feeling darkness looming over from behind, I couldn't move… I didn't dare move.

If I were to run, it would be out in the nothingness of the clouds. If I didn't know where I was going and whoever just talked did, it would not come up in a positive ending, would it?

The sudden consciousness of breath tickling whatever flesh of my neck that was exposed was followed by a frigid voice, "Hello exorcist."

I was not sure how but one word was able to leave from my throat through my parted lips, "What?"

There was only a chuckle as an instant reply. The sound of it trailed away from behind me and rather seemed to have moved in front of me. "It is a pleasure you have finally made it, but I'm afraid that you may be a bit to late." Baffled, I stared out ahead of me, the clouds where beginning to move aside, enabling me to make out what was there. A person? I caught a glint of the two eyes that were staring right back at me.

No. It was a Noah.

He chuckled a hoarse laugh, quickly retiring to a tired look when it left him. Closing his eyes, the rest of the smoke parted a side and at his feet laid someone. Pure white hair and ivory pale skin, the contrast of dark red blood staining the side of his right cheek. A red tear dripped off his chin.

It was Allen.

In a sudden movement, I lunged at the Noah's feet and entangled Allen's weakened body in my embrace. His lifelessness was a horrible feeling that tingled at my arms when I held him. Without noticing it at first, I was practically holding him tight against my chest. My eyes glared up at the Noah, why didn't he attack me? He laughed. Again.

"Why the sad face, exorcist? You should be glad that I didn't 'overdo it'."

My heart froze for a moment. "What?" Overdo it? Did he mean hurting Allen or…?

"You see this?" He held out a finger and lazily pointed it at me, a black specimen with slight blue streaks came to be rested upon it. My eyes widened deliberately, arms tightening around Allen. "This," he brought it up to his face as if he were truly fascinated, "is a Tease…. Apparently, your friend here has already faced them before. It was ironic, though, how he lived—I wasn't expecting it."

Was this… what caused the injury that Allen had told me about?

My hands shook, even in their hold, Allen's red blood were beginning to stain my fingers. Trembling, I gave the Noah a long hard gaze. He smirked and gave his hand a little jerk, as if he was telling for the little butterfly to expand its wings and fly forward. And it did, just that.

I inched away quickly, afraid of the specimen laying a deadly touch (or what I assumed it would be) on Allen and I. My fingers felt slippery with red liquid, fear rising in my chest.

"Stay away!" I yelled to it. I must have looked crazy but I couldn't care less. What else was I supposed to think when my only comrade on the field, on this mission was nearly dead in my arms and something what could be possibly deadly was heading towards us? There was a sudden stir of movement between my arms. My eyes widened with amazement. "Allen?"

He gave me a faint look where I swore I saw a tiny glint of happiness flicker there for a moment. A smile, I would have to say, broke upon his pained face, one of the most sincere that I had ever seen.

He jumped out in front of me before—what the Noah had called a Tease—increased in speed, ready to plunge in an area, such as where my heart was.

"Allen!" I yelled, reaching a hand out to him.

It had dug into him instead. With a wincing hand, he quickly clasped his hand over his chest, crying out a sharp scream. Shortly afterwards, he coughed out a quantity of blood onto the pure white snow. My hands froze with fear.

"Are you scared of death?"

My eye narrowed, witnessing Allen's bold action towards to shielding me. "Allen!" All he did was hold out a hand to me, signalling to not come any closer. Nevertheless, I activated my Dark Boots.

Moments after, the Noah let out an amused laugh and released what I thought I saw: hundreds of Tease. From instinct I stood up from my knees and ran forward. No one could have survived that.

"…Of course I am, Lenalee."

Anyone would think that the fluttering of butterflies would be silent, or even dead silent, unheard to the untamed human ear. From whatever darkness it was, there was a faint screeching. The sound of their wings flapping in unison let out an eerie presence. Swirls of dark shifting clouds engulfed Allen.

"Allen… why are you telling me all of this, about your injury you never told anyone about?"

This was one of the many times I died from inside, perhaps one of the strongest times as well. If there was just more time, if there was just—

"ALLEN!"

That was when I heard one of the most devastating sounds that could exist in the human world. A scream of a human in pain, at the brink of dying. My last sight of him was of his blood-red, disfigured hand. When the butterflies averted direction, Allen and the Noah were gone.

I feel to my knees, crying out unshed tears.

"Ha… it's because I love you."

…

author's ending notes: I'm not sure if I would continue with this, but I'm planning too. Please drop a review if you have time. Other than that, thank you for reading this!

With love

Itsuka-chan.