World's Best Protagonist [BL]

Allen was leaning against the hallway wall. His arms were crossed, and his head was slightly tilted downward.

The long rays of the morning sun coming through the window side of the hallway cast on him, yet he wasn’t bothered by the brightness or the warm feeling, convincing me he was deeper in thought than usual.

I slowed my pace before stopping beside him.

"Why are you standing out here alone?"

He lifted his head, his green eyes locking onto mine, a gentle smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Then he replied honestly, "I was waiting for you."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why wait here? You could have waited inside the room."

His smile faltered ever so slightly. I’ve noticed from the subtle movement of his lips that he wanted to say something but was a bit hesitant.

"I’d like to talk to you about something," Allen finally answered while rubbing his nape, looking a bit flustered.

Seeing him act like that, now I’m curious what it’s all about. If he waited here just to talk, then it must mean it was something private. I cleared my throat, massaging my temple twice as if trying to kick any ridiculous idea.

"Okay..." I murmured. I stood next to him, facing the windows, with my hands tucked in my pockets. I watched the small bits of particles floating inside the sun’s rays while waiting for him to start.

Then, after a few minutes of silence, which surprised me because I did not feel discomfort or boredom at all, he began.

"How did the meeting go?"

Is that really what he wanted to ask? Even without glancing at him, I could feel his gaze. It was prickling, but I learned not to think too much of it.

My bowed head nodded once. "It went well. They just asked me about my father and where I was the past two days. Why do you ask?"

"I hope my brother did not give you too much trouble."

I glanced at him without lifting my head. A smirk played on my face. "No, he didn’t. He wasn’t as strict and scary as the 1st Chamber. But he’s a bit suspicious. He smiles too much. Is he really your brother?"

Allen huffed out a small laugh. "Yeah. Middle child. And that’s just how he is."

"Oh, that sucks," I commented.

Allen raised his brow, looking confused. I grinned. "They say the middle child mostly gets the short end of the stick. The youngest child is the baby, while the oldest is the trophy."

He chuckled. "Wow. Somehow you’re right. Joseph always does everything by himself. He’s got the most freedom, though. Guess that’s how it is if you established yourself without the influence of your parents."

"He must be that good in business." 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"He is. I’m proud of him."

"Wow. I’m jealous. Imagine your older brother as part of the 12 Central Chambers. You should be bossing people around!" I joked.

Allen chuckled shortly. "Be quiet. No one knows he’s my brother."

His eyes sparkled when I mentioned his older brother. He must really be proud of him. But Allen’s not the type to shout it to the streets, so I believed him.

"So... is that what you wanted to talk about?" I asked after a pause.

He flinched. My eye twitched. What is it, dude? Just spill it. You’re making me more nervous. I wanted to force him, but as his gaze drifted forward as if lost in thought for a moment, I could tell he was having difficulty bringing up the topic.

Is it something sensitive? I don’t think I strike him as a guy who easily gets hurt over something. So, why is he dithering so much?

"No," Allen admitted. Then, as if shaking off the topic about his brother, he straightened and turned to me. "Actually, I was going to ask you something."

"Go ahead."

He pressed his lips tight, then parted them and asked, "Do you have anywhere to stay?"

I blinked at him. That’s it? I ended up shaking my head, dumbfounded.

Allen scratched the back of his head. "You can’t go back to your house, right? So, after leaving yesterday, I’ve been thinking where you would stay. I’m sure...you spent the night in the captain’s Sanctum."

I nodded. A flicker of dismay flashed in his eyes.

"Are you going to keep staying at his place?" he asked, watching my expression carefully.

I thought of Claude. Well, he asked me to stay last night, but did it mean I should until the protection order came down? He didn’t seem to mind, but it was a bit uncomfortable sharing the bed.

And what about his nightmares?

I shrugged and just said, "Not sure. I might move out, though."

Allen’s eyes lit up. He uncrossed his arms and turned to me fully. "Then, why don’t you move into my place?"

I blinked again. "Huh?"

His eyes widened slightly, probably just realizing the impact of what he said. He waved his hand dismissively in panic.

"No, no. I mean, I have an extra apartment in Plateau. I barely use it. If you need a place to stay, it’s yours," Allen explained eagerly.

Plateau? That’s a fucking high-end residential complex. Security is so tight because most of the wealthiest people, and members of the executive and legislative branches of the government have units there.

I don’t need to worry about my protection, but my commoner ass might embarrassed himself if I live there. I heard even the road there’s made from gold. Lol.

"That’s tempting," I answered Allen. He looked pleased, but sorry, dude. I couldn’t decide. I rubbed my nape, feeling pressured. "I’ll think about it. The captain said that once I received a protection order, I could go back to my house."

After I said that, Allen’s face fell a little, but he quickly masked it with a smile. "Alright."

Before the air between us could turn too awkward, I clapped his shoulder. "Come on, let’s go inside before someone else tries to recruit me into their high-end lifestyle." I joked.

Allen laughed. I felt guilty because it was obviously fake. I could only hope he won’t take it too seriously.