Allen lay on Mana's lap. He refused to let him bandage up his eye, covering his whole face with his spare glove and hand. He stayed on his lap sobbing uncontrollably eventually some of the times sobbing quietly. He never would have thought that would happen to him. Before all of the villagers enjoyed his presence until the man named Boss destroyed it. He released his secret to everyone and Mana was sure people were spreading it around like a plague.

Most of the time Mana was able to walk around the house leaving Allen by his lonesome. But the love he had towards him kept him with him most of the time.

…

While Mana went into the kitchen to fetch something to eat Allen stayed in his room leaning against the chest he was looking through just a few days ago. He eventually stopped covering his face with his hands and let his auburn hair cover the injured part of his face. The sun past through his window faintly shining to it's same corner. Allen stared blankly at the space not really looking at it at all. Mana walked into the room holding a plate with two rice balls. He walked over to Allen and knelt down the same when Allen shifted his head to stare away from him.

Mana sighed and place the plate down beside his feet. He sat beside him looking up at the ceiling with worried eyes. "You really need to eat something." He replied to the faint growl of Allen's stomach. "Look Allen. I know this is hard to be shunned from the people you love but…" He couldn't find anything to say after that, "I know dealing with this is hard at such a young age but I hate to see you like this. And I'm sure if they saw you like this, they'd be just as worried as I am."

Mana looked over to see Allen's unmoving body and sighed. He turned to say something but was cut off by Allen's unexpected response. "They hurt me…" He put his chin on his knee still not able to face Mana yet, "I know-I know I should get over it but… I can't." Allen's cries choked out of his words. He couldn't control himself feeling the pain and suffering he had kept inside since that day suddenly just burst out to his words and tears. "I was finally able to believe that I could truly start being able to fit in, in this town. That all of the people would accept me and take me in. I thought I could get a fresh start in this new town that my old parents abandoned me in. But… I was wrong. I can never comfort anyone…"

Allen's foster father sat frozen his hand still extended towards him. He kept repeating no into his mind trying to make Allen release that he was wrong. Allen suddenly wrapped his arms around him sobbing. The pain on the right side of his face grew as his salty tears poured onto his bruises. Mana ran his hand through Allen's hair finally able to smile with comfort again. "You're wrong." He replied. There was a little play his in his voice. Allen gasped and looked up interested in what his father had to say. Mana's smile brightened. "Wow." He giggled a little, "It's been a while since I've seen your face. But you're wrong," Mana brushed some of the hair from Allen's eyes, "You bring me comfort everyday. Just seeing your angelic face bring a smile to mine."

Allen stared blankly for a moment then his tears started to over flow even more, "Father!" He buried his face in his chest not even trying to stop the tears from flowing.

"Now, now, come on. I told you how much your face brought me comfort; now show me that smile I've been dying to see." Allen looked up, his face was red either from embarrassment or sadness, Mana couldn't tell. Allen smiled happily somehow making the room seem brighter. "That's it. Now I want to fix up that face of yours. It must be very irritating having been untreated for so long."

"Wa-wait!" Allen released his grip from him and crawled over to Mana's feet. "There's something I should do first." Mana shrugged watching Allen circle around him. Allen grabbed the plate with the rice balls and took a huge bite out of one.

Mana's eyes grew wide and suddenly started laughing loudly. He wiped a tear from his eye, "Got me there. I never expected that." Allen smiled again showing bits of rice around his mouth. His stomach growled again this time louder taking advantage of the cheery moment "You and that big appetite of yours are back." He smirked. He stood up and pointed towards the kitchen, "I'll go make us something good to eat!"

…

"I'm almost done." Mana replied. He was bandaging Allen's eye-which wasn't so bad now since the swelling went down in the couple of days-and he had just finished putting the ointment on it. Allen clinched the wooden stool tightly trying to ease the pain. He kept repeating the word "ouch" in his head to zone it out. The stew that Mana was currently making sat boiling on the stove not quiet ready to be pushed aside yet. "There." Mana taped the last part of the bandage onto his face. A tear sat in the corner of Allen's eye as he opened it. "Aw come on. It wasn't that bad." The white bandage covered the right part of Allen's face. He put his hand over the bandage and stroked it gently relieved that it was over. "Now remember Allen." Allen looked up at the smiling Mana who held up his index finger, "Remember to never give up. Keep moving forward." He winked and turned to walk up towards the stove.

Never give up? Always move forward? Allen smiled, I'll do it for you, Father.

Chapter 4 complete Looking forward to chapter 5!

-Akane