Hana: Hi.

Allen: In the words of Kanda...you look like shit.

Hana: I feel like shit. I didn't sleep at all last night. -yawns-

Allen: ...alright then. Hanashi and XavierForest don't own D. Gray-man. Only the story you guys are reading. She wishes you enjoy the chapter!

Hana: Mm...

... ... ... ...

+ - Chapter 50 +

Allen was cold.

He wanted Yu, even though he knew he shouldn't. He didn't deserve that man.

Right now he had to stay strong. He just had to make it past this hurdle, just had to somehow get rid of Apocryphos and do something about Raku, and that would fix everything. Right?

He might not be happy after all this, but it was the right thing to do. Right?

"It might be the right thing to do," Wisely said, entering the room and plopping down beside Allen on the couch. "Don't you deserve happiness though?"

The younger moved and let his head fall on the other ex-NOAH's shoulder. "Can we just... stay like this for a while?" Allen asked, his voice small.

Wisely didn't push him away. You've been pushing yourself for so long now.

"Hey..." Allen's eyelids slid shut. "Happiness was never my thing." He smiled wryly, throat thick and eyes burning. He wouldn't cry though. He couldn't. "I mean, look at what I've done with it."

He ruined it every time.

Mana had come into his life, teaching him how wonderful it felt to be able to rely on and love someone. Mana had died.

Yu, too, had taught him love, only this was a different kind. This was the kind that his soul and body ached for, that made him feel lonely and mad and jealous and pleased and so unbearably happy that his heart soared. Yu didn't want him anymore.

Allen knew he was bad luck.

"You're not bad luck," Wisely butted in, worried for the boy's mental state. "Kanda will definitely take you back."

Allen shook his head, not wanting to hope. "Why would he?" Hope was painful.

"He asked you to marry him. There's no way something like this would make him stop loving you."

" 'Something... like this'," Allen repeated numbly. He'd lied and kept secrets from his fiancé... He hadn't told his most important person that... that his father... Allen's mouth twisted into a grimace. "There's no way I'll be forgiven."

"You haven't even tried," Wisely said. He didn't want Allen to give up just yet. There was still a big chance those two could fix this. All Allen had to do was try.

Allen's form stiffened. "...I did try to explain...to appologize...but Yu didn't want any of it."

"You know how he works, Allen. You need to be as pigheaded as he is." Wisely attempted to cheer up the younger male. "This isn't getting us anywhere..."

"I have a plan~!" Devit's voice sounded as he appeared behind them on one side.

"A great plan!" Jasdero agreed appearing on the other side. "Foolproof~!"

"NO." Wisely growled. "There are many things wrong with that plan, and the fact Allen is still underage is one of them."

"Don't be so stingy, Wise." Devit said, resting his chin on heel of his hand. "I think Al here just needs a guys' night out. He needs to loosen up and relax. Forget his worries and current strife."

"A... guy's night out?" Allen asked, lifting his head and reopening his eyes. He'd never had one of those before.

"Hii Hee~" Jasdero nodded, climbing over the back of the couch. "Guy's night! Drinking! Partying!"

"He's too young for drinking!" Wisely growled out. "It's the worst possible idea you two have ever come up with!"

"Your point?" Said Devit. "Listen, I hate it when people mope like the world ended for them or whatever. Al here needs a chance to forget."

"He's nineteen."

"And almost twenty."

"Underage drinking will not be tolerated!"

"Hee! You sound like that boring twin mole guy!"

"At least that means one of us here is responsible."

Allen just watched the argument, deciding it wouldn't be a good idea to get into it...yet. While the twins and Wisely continued to back and forth on their...very creative discussion. The youngest found himself thinking over what the twins proposed.

It wasn't like he hadn't drank before. There was that time at the spa when he and...

Allen winced as he felt a twinge in his heart.

Partying sounded... fun... And he wouldn't mind forgetting, if only for a little while.

"Oh hell no! Allen Walker, you cannot seriously be thinking-"

"I am...and...I think they're...er...right."

The twins were both caught off guard by Allen's confession. "Woah, you mean you'd actually go to a club, and enjoy yourself?"

"The world ain't ending, right, Dev?"

"Nah. I think it's just the party getting started!"

"Oh my god, I'm surrounded by fools." Wisely dejectedly groaned.

Allen rubbed the base of his neck and tried for a sheepish smile. "It just... sounds fun..." And he really wanted fun.

"Fine then. But you're not going without supervision." Wisely sternly stated. Like hell he'd trust the damn twins with Allen.

Allen looked at Wisely, hand falling to his lap. "Eh? You're coming?"

Before the other white-haired male had a chance to say 'yes', Devit high-fived his brother. He already had a place in mind for their night out. "Strip cl—"

"We are not going to a strip club," Wisely growled. "I don't want to see that, and Allen's gay, s—"

Devit shushed the other with a wave of his hand. "We'll get him a male striper, obviously."

"Obviously~! Hii~!"

"I don't want a stripper," Allen meekly interjected, his cheeks a muted red.

"Yeah, fine. No strippers." Devit groused. The black haired twin then grinned mischievously, as he teasingly elbowed Allen's arm. "You just want your sa-mu-rai~"

"H-Hey! It...it's not like that a-at all!" The younger was quick to deny. Perhaps too quick.

The trio of ex-NOAH all sighed. "Yeah, sure. That's totally how it is."

"I'm sure you'd be all for the stripper idea if it was that guy taking off his clothes," Devit said, grin returning when Allen blushed.

"C-Cut that out already!" Allen abruptly stood, glaring mostly at the twins. "Kanda and I are over. There's nothing either of us could ever want from each other anymore."

"You keep saying that," Jasdero huffed, "But you miss him more than I can spread my arms! Hee! Hee!"

"That said!" Devit said with a grin, "Don't we owe ya a meal anyway? We'll go eat, party at a club, then come home, and sleep the rest of the night away."

"Maybe the morning too!" The blond-haired twin eagerly added in.

The black-haired twin eagerly nodded. "Ya won't be able to walk once we're done! Though ya won't know whether it's from the liquor or the dancing."

"You are definitely not going without supervision," Wisely groaned into his palm.

Allen chuckled a little in embarrassment. "R-right..."

. . - * - . .

"You two are looking lively." Tewaku mused. Lala and Timothy looked to the CROW, the boy shrugging in response.

"Mr. Johnson is gonna be locked away for a long time if Papa has anything to say about it." Lala said. "I guess...we're relieved?"

Timothy snorted. "One step closer to being a legit family, if y'ask me." He then smiled brightly, holding his hands behind his neck, "Emilia's doing well, and I even heard Mother Superior might be coming back to run the orphanage again.

"That is good news." Tewaku said. There was a knowing look in her eyes, though it was missed by the children before her.

"Miss Tewaku..." Lala quietly said, "How are Mama Allen and Papa doing right now?"

The age old question that everyone seemed to want to know. Tewaku sadly noted.

"Well, Allen's still going to his usual classes, and Kanda's still working," she said, the displeased expressions she received informing her that this wasn't what they'd wanted. "They... haven't communicated with each other yet. Kanda wants to, but Allen hasn't made the effort."

"So he should just make Allen make that effort." Timothy huffed. "Seriously."

"He can't find Allen," Tewaku explained.

"He works part time, he goes to school...shouldn't that be easy enough for him to figure out with that?"

"I think...it's more difficult that it seems..." Lala said, "Allen could've change his routes so he wouldn't see Kanda when he goes around, or arrives, or even leaves the building...and maybe he got a new part time job..."

"Smart little lady we have here." Tewaku said, before sighing, "That's pretty much the gist."

"You know where he is though." Lala continued. "You know where Mama Allen is, but you're not doing anything to even let Papa know anything."

"It's better to let them do this without our interference. If we get them to meet when Allen isn't ready, it could potentially make the situation worse."

"And how's that working out?" Timothy bluntly asked. "Unless someone pushes Allen in the right direction, he's never gonna meet with Kanda again."

"Or we can always count on Allen's luck." Tewaku supplied. "He's been oddly lucky with avoiding him, I'm pretty sure it's due to run out."

"True," the kids agreed at the same time. Allen was a surprisingly unlucky person.

... ... ... ...

Allen: -waves- Well...I can't say I'm in the A/N...like ever. Am I really going to a club of all places though?!

-clears his throat- R&R isn't short for "Rest and Relaxation", but I think Hana needs it right now, so I'll let her sleep. Leave a review below and let her know how she and her Co-Author are doing. Show the story some love by favoriting, and follow to stay up with new chapters as they come.

...is that everything? Ah! Don't forget to look into XavierForest's works too, and I guess you'll see them...and the next chapter next week, on Fade to Gray!