A/N: *blows breath out* Sorry about how late this is. I don't know what's gotten into me this week. *apologetic smile*

Thank you to jy24, bibliophile030, Alaia Skyhawk, Amelia Loves Anime, pikaree1, karina001, Shadow Spears, Windbear47, newby6320, Shadow-X1999, Saimiri, and Lauri3n for reviewing!

Title: Blackberry Bushes

Author: liketolaugh

Rating: T

Pairings: None

Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Adventure

Warnings: AU

Summary: That night after Allen turns Mana into an akuma, it isn't Cross Marian who picks him up. It's Tiedoll.

Disclaimer: I only wish I owned D. Gray-man.

They played for over an hour. Allen was surprised at how much he enjoyed it; Daisya was lighthearted and loud, and he didn't ask questions or make fun of him (not meanly, anyway) or really do anything except teach Allen how to play and then beat him soundly. Multiple times.

Allen wanted to do this again sometime, he decided, and wondered if Marie or Kanda played. (Probably not Kanda. He didn't seem like a game sort of person.)

Finally, on finishing their latest game, Daisya claimed the ball, kicked it up with a well-practiced kick, and deactivated it. Then he swiped it out of the air and reached back to reattach it to his hood.

Allen watched him, panting slightly from exertion, and laughed. "I didn't think that Innocence could be used for anything but destroying akuma," he admitted, face flushed and smiling.

"No one does," Daisya said dismissively, also panting a little, a grin on his face. "You gotta think outside the box, Allen. C'mon, nothing can't be used for fun. You just have to think about it."

Allen used to work in a circus. He considered the idea that maybe he hadn't absorbed as much of that mindset as he should have. It certainly hadn't been for lack of trying, though, at least on Mana's part.

For a moment, Allen's smile flickered, and he sat down cross-legged in the middle of the floor. Daisya joined him, leaning back on his arms, still grinning.

"I guess I never thought of it like that," Allen said finally. He glanced down at his arm – his Innocence, which had always been a source of anything but fun. "You don't think it's…" He trailed off, not sure exactly what he'd meant to say. Weird? Dangerous? Irreverent?

He suppressed a snort. Daisya had been the very meaning of irreverent since Allen had arrived, and Allen got the feeling that this was normal for him. And Allen wasn't exactly noted for being respectful of such things either.

Daisya smirked at him, possibly thinking along the same lines. "Nah. It chose us, right? To do whatever we wanted. And if it's gonna put us through this sort of hell, the least it can do is let us play around for a while." He rolled his eyes. "It's not like it's gonna hurt it."

Allen considered that.

It made a sort of sense. Allen used his left arm almost as much as his right, now. Tiedoll occasionally made sculptures with his Innocence. And they'd just played soccer with Charity Bell. All of those were possible applications of the Innocence, unrelated to use as a weapon.

The Innocence must tolerate it. It hadn't done anything about any of that. In fact, it had almost invited it, taking those forms with their respective accommodators – it could have taken a different form, without those applications, but it hadn't.

He'd just never thought about it.

"Oh."

Daisya laughed at him, and Allen smiled slightly.

"You caught on faster than Kanda," Daisya told him. "He still only ever touches Mugen if he wants to use it on someone."

Allen thought about that, and found himself caught between a scowl and a smile. It seemed like Kanda, from what he'd heard and seen of him.

Daisya laughed at him again – or, more accurately, at the look on his face – and hopped up, holding his hand out for Allen to take. "C'mon! I bet we can get another game in before we have to get to training."

"Okay," Allen agreed, and barely hesitated before taking Daisya's hand and letting him tug him up.

"You weigh as much as a feather," Daisya informed him, and then pulled Charity Bell back off his hood, spinning it on his index finger as he activated it, making it grow. "You're gonna make the old man fuss."

"He fusses already," Allen said, and Daisya laughed.

The ball tumbled to the ground, and the next game began.

Allen let himself grin.

"Komui?"

Tiedoll hid a smile as Komui snorted and woke up, sitting up at his desk with a sleepy look, rubbing at his face tiredly. Komui wasn't much younger than Tiedoll himself, but at times the difference was extremely pronounced.

"General?" Komui returned, sleepiness giving way to curiosity. He sat up slightly, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Is something the matter?"

Tiedoll's smile faded, his expression turning serious. After a moment, Komui's expression shifted to match, and he sat up entirely, folding his hands on the desk in front of him.

"Yes," Tiedoll answered, striding forward so he stood just in front of Komui's desk, head tilted slightly to look down at the other man. "I understand that Marian recently approached you about making Allen his apprentice?"

"Yes, earlier today," Komui frowned. "I assure you, General, I wouldn't dream of transferring Allen without reason, and certainly not to General Cross."

"I should hope not," Tiedoll huffed, and then shook his head. "Never mind that. Did he give any indication as to why he found this necessary?"

Komui shook his head slowly, brow furrowing slightly. "I'm afraid not. Do you yourself have some idea?"

He did, in fact, though it was very vague. It had to be more serious than Tiedoll had imagined, though, if Cross intended to take Allen on himself. If he wanted him close.

"Some," Tiedoll agreed vaguely, mind running through a frustratingly short list of possibilities. "But very little, I'm afraid." He tipped his head toward Komui. "Do keep me informed, won't you, Komui?" He smiled.

"Of course," Komui assured him, and though Tiedoll didn't know it, Komui, too, was suddenly much more suspicious than he had been.

Tiedoll nodded, and then he turned and left, quick and striding.

Cross, Tiedoll knew, had a tendency to get what he wanted, one way or another. He was as charismatic as he was irritating, as well-connected as he was nomadic, and he was not afraid to play dirty. He relished it, in fact, or at least, Tiedoll believed so.

Dirty, in this case, meant Central.

Tiedoll hoped to God it wasn't that serious. He might have to speak to Cross about this directly, and this time, he would have to be persistent.

What could Cross possibly want with Allen?

There we go! *smile* I'm not especially proud of it, but again, moving forward. Sort of. And hey, Daisya can be serious! ...Again, sort of. *laugh* Thanks for reading, and please review!