I don't own D. Gray-Man D:


Later that day, Krory opened his umbrella and stepped out the door. Rain drizzled down around him as he splashed his way to a certain happy and neat-looking house around the corner. At the door of this cheerful home, he paused. With uncertain hands he gave a resounding tap on the well-polished wooden door.

Tap-tap.

He waited, with bated breath.

To his relief, the door soon swung open and a face peeped out at him.

"Uncle Krory?" A childish voice piped out. "Grandma! Grandpa! Uncle Krory's here!"

The child ushered him into a comfortable room all decked out in pastel colours. There, sitting by the fireplace in soft chairs were a scarred man and a graceful woman.

"Krory!" Both exclaimed in surprise.

"Allen, Lenalee. It's good to see you again."

"Sit down!" Lenalee offered him a chair. "Lavi and Kanda are coming over later. Stay till they arrive, please? We all miss each other loads."

Krory did not object to her plea.

Soon enough, a drenched redhead and a self-possessed man entered. They all sat down to reminiscence.

"Allen, remember how we used to call you beansprout? Hahahaha, those were the days!"

"Lenalee, how're your grandchildren? Mine are awfully noisy."

"Yeah, I miss jiji too. Even his panda eyes."

Krory drank in the scene. Listening to his friends talk was balm enough for him. Slowly, his gaze drifted to the window, where the formidable outline of the Black Order headquarters could still be seen. Ahhh, the times he'd spent there with his fellow exorcists and finders. Nowadays the headquarters were barely occupied. The exorcists were called back at times for practice drills, but only a few abode there with the scientists now.

Kanda and Lavi had each married lovely women and now spent their twilight years in contentment, except for the fact that they still argued and fought a lot when they met. Allen and Lenalee lived in bliss too, with their children and grandchildren. And he felt so very out of place. They had all achived their happy endings, and here he was, alone and miserable. He was a spare tyre, out of place, an ornament of gloom amid cheer and fun.

They were family, yes, but Eliade – and Miranda – what was one to do with these chilling memories of lost love?

An aching pang seized him. To cry, to shout out loud that he wanted Miranda back; how satisfactory that would be. Yet how could he ignore the kindness showered upon him by friends? They had stood by him all these while, even as his hopes of finding Miranda petered out with each passing year.

"Krory?"

"Uhhh?" He awoke from his reverie, only to find his friends staring at him, puzzled looks lining their faces. "I'm fine. Just dozed off, is all."

"You sure, Kuro-chan?" Lavi didn't quite believe him, it seemed.

"I..I think I need to go. See you all around at the next drill!" With that, he leapt out of his seat and bound out of the house.

Out in the rain, he realised he'd forgotten his umbrella.

Out in the rain, a tall figure hobbled his way down muddy streets, all the while holding back tears of sorrow. Friends were important, but they brought back too many memories of his younger days.

Out in the rain, tears slid down his face, blending with the rain.


A/N: Ohhh my can't believe it i managed to update within one day heh. Hmm but the next update'll probably be much later. School won't give me much time for this D: But anyway, thanks for reading! :D