Spiraling
Title: Spiraling Author: Shirahime Pairing: Tyki/Allen Rating: eventual NC-17 Summary: Some manga spoilers for Volume 6. Allen finds himself in the lair of the enemy, but for what purpose?
Part One
When Allen woke, it was to the throbbing in the place where his left arm had been and to the realization that he was alive and in a room that he didn’t recognize. Shifting from under the covers to sit up, he noticed that the stump of his arm had been bandaged, hints of pink and red of the blood that had soaked through the wrappings. Sunlight filtered in around a shade that had been drawn over the window, casting faint light in the room. Reaching over to the nightstand, Allen turned on the lamp to better illuminate the room. The bed that he lay on was soft, the room sparsely furnished. A dresser was positioned against the adjacent wall, a nearby table bore materials for bandages, in slight disarray in the box that they sat in.
Allen sorted through the jumble of memories of recent events, trying to see if his location was held within them. Had his friends managed to come for him? Was he now in the room of an inn that the other exorcists were staying at? He gingerly touched the remnant of his left arm, the fact that he was defenseless against akuma weighing on his mind. The teen tried to rise from the bed, wanting to seek out his companions, but exhausted limbs didn’t want to cooperate.
At the creak of the door opening, Allen looked up, the sight of the figure who appeared at the doorway causing his hackles to rise. He grasped his left shoulder, his face twisted in anger that left him nearly speechless. What was he doing here?
“Oh, such a hateful face,” Tyki remarked. “And after I helped you, too. Are all exorcists as bad-mannered as you?” The man approached, holding a tray of food in his hands. The scent of it wafting to Allen’s nostrils triggered rumbling in his nearly empty belly.
“‘Helped me?’” Allen echoed angrily, watching him warily as he approached to place the tray onto the nightstand. “You’re the one who did this to me, Noah!” he shouted, indicating his ruined arm.
Tyki wore a put upon expression. “You can’t really blame me for that,” he explained. “We were enemies at the time-”
“‘Were’? We still are, Noah,” Allen interrupted.
“I do have a name, boy,” Tyki sighed. “It wouldn’t do for you to walk around calling everyone here ‘Noah.’ The name’s Tyki, since apparently you’ve forgotten.”
Allen frowned, realizing that the name was vaguely familiar. His eyes widened as realization dawned on him. “You’re that poker player from the train! But how-?” He was about to ask about the different appearance until he remembered how Rhode had morphed before his eyes back in the rewinding town. So they can change how they look to hide among normal humans, he thought. Then something else dawned on him. “What do you mean about calling everyone here Noah?” A feeling of dread fell upon him.
Tyki smiled with humor. “Just what it sounds like, silly. You’re currently a guest in my home, well, our home.”
Allen’s face darkened. “The Earl… he’s here too, isn’t he?”
“Of course,” Tyki told him, taking a seat on the bed. He smiled at how Allen shifted away from him. “Don’t worry. He won’t kill you or anything. That would make him a bad host.”
“This has to be some kind of trick,” Allen said, frustrated. “I don’t know what purpose you had in bringing me here, but you won’t gain anything by doing it. The Order won’t yield to your demands just from you kidnapping one exorcist… You might as well kill me and be done with it.” Allen didn’t meet his eyes, trying to mentally prepare himself for his end.
Tyki loomed so close to the teen that his breath displace strands of Allen’s pale hair, his golden eyes intense. “No one’s going to kill you, boy. If so, I would have already done it.” He placed a gloveless hand onto Allen’s chest, causing the teen to gaze up into fiery eyes. “If I’d wanted to, I would have already slipped this hand into you, and pulled that warm heart of yours free. But I didn’t. As long as this is gone,” he said, moving his hand to grasp Allen’s left shoulder, “you aren’t an exorcist or a threat to me.”
Blue eyes glared into gold. “So I’m supposed to be amusement for you?” He refused to look away from the Noah’s wicked gaze.
After a moment, golden eyes that had been fierce and hungry turned kind, the wicked grin became gentle. “I told you, you’re a guest here,” Tyki said, smiling pleasantly. He rose from the bed to shift the table so that it was close to the bed. “It looks like those bandages need changing.”
Allen gazed in disbelief as the Noah began unwrapping his bandages, tossing them in the trash before reaching for fresh ones. “Why are you doing this?” he asked in disbelief. “You’re the one who destroyed my Innocence.”
Tyki smirked, pausing in his actions to cut Allen a look before continuing to dress his wounded arm. “Did I now? Is that how you remember it? I may have destroyed this arm, but I didn’t destroy your Innocence.”
Allen frowned, searching his memories. He remembered telling Timcampy to rescue Suman’s innocence. He remembered seeing the Noah’s hand reach out toward his damaged arm that lay on the ground and then… haziness.
His reverie was broken by Tyki looming close once more, gazing into his eyes as he stroked the newly-bandaged stump. “I didn’t destroy your Innocence. It abandoned you, boy.”
Allen’s gaze became unsure. “Y-You’re lying.”
“Believe what you want, boy. Didn’t you consider the fact that maybe interfering with the judgment of the one you worship wouldn’t be appreciated?” The Noah pulled away to watch the impact of his words dawn on Allen.
“No,” the boy remarked softly. “That couldn’t happen.” He balled his hand into a fist. There’s no way that… not because he’d helped Suman…
Tyki leaned in to murmur into his ear. “You’ve been abandoned, boy. And after all your efforts for them, abandoned just because of an act of mercy. Shameful, if you ask me. How could I leave such a boy there lying on the ground? I had to bring you with me. There are still those who want you, you see.”
Shoving at Tyki with his good hand, Allen glared up at him. “What do you mean? Explain yourself!” His frown deepened as he watched the Noah chuckle.
“You’re not really in the position to make demands here, boy. You’re alive now because of my good graces. You should act a little kinder towards me.” Wicked smile faded to one of kindness. “Now eat your food before it gets cold.” He picked up the tray from the nightstand to set it on Allen’s lap, giving a brief grin before turning away.
Allen watched the Noah’s retreating form until he was out the door, closing it behind him. He looked down at the food in his lap, his appetite notably absent, wondering what game the Noah had in store for him.