Wisely lies on his back, his demon eye aching, his white hair stained with dirt and blood. He's going to die. He knows it. This is it for him. He can hardly bear it as the sounds of the raging battle surround him and he's tempted to cover his ears but his arms won't move. None of his limbs will and they feel numb and heavy against the ground. Through his hazy vision he can see that girly samurai, the one from a couple months ago who's mind he'd tried to break. He looks angry and his sword is poised to stab him through the chest and Wisely knows that there's no getting away from this one.

Lenalee's grinning face drifts through his mind suddenly. He's always loved it when she smiles. The way that her eyes light up and the whole world seems brighter when she does is the sole reason that Wisely hung around her, at first. She seemed like a bright light, a salvation, in his dark and painful world. That's why she's so dear to him and he holds her so close. So, even on those days when there's so much death and destruction and the whole world is closing in on him and he gets so overwhelmed with everything that's happening around him, she can make him forget it all. It's funny, really, how she is the only person who can ever do that. Let him forget it all, for a few hours at least.

It started when he first met her. She'd been with Allen Walker and had nearly killed Wisely but the smile she gave to Allen when they defeated him and left him lying in the rubble of what once was a family home was just...wow. He still doesn't understand why she didn't kill him, she had the perfect oppurtunity after all.

After that, he'd began to seek her out, just to see that brilliant smile on her face again. Honestly, he felt like some sort of creepy stalker, always showing up wherever she was and Lenalee herself looked a bit creeped when he popped up a fifth time. It was on a mission to Italy and a child had discovered a piece of Innocence which could make people invisible when they touched it. The kid had been using it to pull pranks on his friends which quickly escalated to the point that stories of a ghost started to surface. This drew the Exorcists' attention. And the Noahs'.

"You again?!" She'd exclaimed, swinging her leg around and he jumped back, dodging it easily.

"Sorry," He'd replied, not really looking at her, "But, you're much better banter than Tyki."

"Excuse me?"

"You're more fun. I can never get a decent answer out of Tyki, he's forever reading those books and smoking his lungs away."

She blinked at him and he blinked back. He stared at her and she stared back. It'd become a silent showdown of who could hold eye contact the longest when the Finder started screaming at the sudden appearance of an Akuma and Lenalee had run off to save him. That'd been the first time she'd talked to him.

Yes, the previous four times, Wisely'd been accompanied by Road, Tyki and Lulubell who did most of the talking. Nobody ever seemed to take much notice of the white-haired boy sitting cross-legged in the background, chin resting on his hand in an almost bored manner.

The sixth time, they'd actually had a proper conversation between kicks and dodges. She'd asked him how his day was. KICK. He told her it'd been bad. DODGE. She asked why. KICK. He told her why. DODGE. She asked him why he didn't wear a bandana to prevent people from tripping over his turban. He told her that he and the turban had been through too much together. Her kicks stopped, so did his dodges. She laughed and he did too. She told him he had good abs. He told her she was pretty. She told him that she loved his hair. He told her that nobody ever has ever said that before. That most people find it freaky. She'd blushed. Then, the Finder started screaming again and she rushed off to save him with an exasperated sigh.

The seventh time they didn't fight, just talked. The Finder couldn't believe his eyes when he saw two sworn enemies laughing and enjoying tea together. Neither could Tyki when he'd shown up. Lenalee had to save the Finder as Tyki had thrust a hand into his chest.

The eighth time, he'd saved her. Tyki was going in for the kill, weapon raised above his head and ready to strike. Lenalee was sitting on the ground, quivering in fear and silent tears were running down her cheeks. Wisely'd thrown himself inbetween, taking the brunt of the blow and gritting his teeth. Tyki gasped. Lenalee gasped. Hell, the whole fucking battlefield stopped what they were doing and gasped.

"Wisely!? What are you doing!?"

"..."

A Finder screamed and was killed by an Akuma. Everything dissolved into chaos again. Lenalee said thank you then kissed his cheek with that fucking gorgeous smile. It made facing Tyki's wrath later on worth it.

The ninth time, she'd bumped into him in London whilst she was out shopping. Literally. She walked face first into his back and when he'd turned around, she'd began apologising repeatedly until she recognised. Then smiled at him. Oh god that fucking smile. Why the fuck does it to this to him?

"Lenalee?"

"Wisely?"

"What're you doing here?"

"Shopping. It's Lavi's birthday soon. ...do you want to come with me?"

They spent the rest of the day together. Lenalee noticed how Wisely had switched his turban for a bandana and didn't fail to comment on it. She wondered if it was because she told him that he'd suit one on the sixth time and a faint pink appeared on his cheeks, confirming her suspicions. Lenalee had then dragged Wisely to countless bloody shops and he somehow ended up carrying everything she bought. He remembered from his days living on the streets, looking up at these beautifully lit-up buildings and being certain that he'd never be able to afford anything in any of them. After picking a scarf up for Lavi, Lenalee got hungry. She dragged him to a Café with her and ordered an abnormally large slice of chocolate cake. Afterwards, she bade him goodbye, activated her dark boots and shot off into the sky.

The tenth time was the time he'd always remember. Forever. It was the time he'd kissed her. He can't even remember what he was thinking at the time. It was more of an impulse thing as they'd sat on a bench in some park in the middle of London. Lenalee had been sad that day. Told Wisely that Komui had been smothering her more than usual and that it was getting ridiculous. She'd confided that she'd not even had her first kiss yet, due to his protectiveness. She wanted to know what being kissed and loved felt like. He looked at her forlorn face and before he knew what he was doing, his hand cupping her cheek, looking into her large purple eyes for a moment before pressing his lips to hers. She'd been shocked for a second before responding, kissing him back and he wrapped his arms around her lower back, keeping her close as her hands hooked themselves behind his neck. After a couple of moments and a few smiles from elderly couples later, they pulled apart. Lenalee was a little breathless.

"W-Why?"

"Now you know what a kiss and being loved feels like," Wisely smiled before adding, "You can thank me later."

She smiled at him and his heart rate quickened. She kissed him again.

Now, he's on the ground, about to die at the hands of Lenalee's friend. Of course, he always knew he was going to die before her. He's always known that he and her were never going to work and that one of them is going to be killed by the friend of another sooner or later. Lenalee is screaming, struggling against Allen's arms which are restraining her. She's lashing out at him, desperately trying to get to Wisely. To save him like he'd saved her on the eighth time. But Allen holds her firmly, determined not to let her go.

"WISELY!" Her voice is hoarse from all the crying and shrieking, "KANDA PLEASE STOP! WISELY!"

She elbows Allen in the stomach again, hard and he chokes a little but doesn't let go. "Allen please!" She cries and after a second, he shakes his head silently.

Kanda brings the sword down. The pain is unbearable. Wisely yells and clenches his fists and Kanda wrenches the sword from his body, bringing it down again and again. Don't kill me.

I don't want to die, not yet. I want to be able to return home, too. I want to be able to see the end of the war, too! Don't kill me! Please!

Lenalee is still screaming. Chaoji is helping Allen to restrain her. The other Noah are being held back by the Generals and Wisely can hear Road and Tyki screaming his name. Debitto and Jasdero's voices are also there, Jasdero sounds like he's sobbing.

Kanda has raised his sword for another stab. It grazes his heart this time and Wisely feels the blood slowly filling his body. Darkness slowly begins to creep into his vision and the screams of his friends and his lover are still ringing in his ears. He can't move and he can't speak, all he's able to do is lie there and accept his fate. This must be what death feels like. Feeling his life quickly draining away, Wisely uses his last remaining strength to turn his head to look at Lenalee. Allen has left her to join the others in keeping the Noah back and she is now only being kept away by Chaoji, who with his super strength, she has no hope of getting away from.

'Smile for me. Let your beautiful smile be the last thing I see.'

The thought imprints itself into her mind and she jolts when she hears his voice, echoing through her head. She nods at him, a smile slowly spreads across her face and although her cheeks are tear-streaked, her face is dirty and her hair is messy and stuck to her head, she is the most beautiful thing in the world.

'Thank you for letting my life be worth living. I love you so much.'

Wisely is gone. Kanda has finished him off with a final stab to the heart. Lenalee lets out a wail and finally breaks out of Chaoji's grip and ignores his yells for her. Reaching the boy's side, she collapses to her knees, gripping the bloody fabric of his shirt and crying her broken heart out. Kanda watches her with a twinge of regret before sheathing his sword and walking away. Road makes it past the Generals, racing towards the two and stops short when Lenalee leans forward, closing her brother's eyes and kissing his lips gently.

"I love you so much, Wisely. I'm sorry I couldn't save you. Wait for me in heaven, will you?"