"I'm starting to become impatient, Allen."

Silver eyes opened and widened in alarm. The familiar chains bound to his wrists as he was restrained to a chair.

"You're getting in the way of things you wouldn't even begin to understand."

Clenching his fists Allen glared up at the figure in front of him. He couldn't let him get the best of him. "Then find someone else to use as a pawn, Nea."

The Noah glared back again at the defiant teen. "It's not that easy."

The landscape around them began to become disoriented as they heard a voice echo in the distance. A familiar voice.

The chains fizzled away as Nea deepened his glare. "I'm tired of the interruptions, Allen. You can't escape this."

"MOYASHI!" Kanda's bellowed as Allen's eyes shot wide open and he gasped for breath. His stomach was absolutely killing him and he was seeing stars. Allen slurred something unintelligible. "What?"

"I'm gonna be sick…" He repeated a bit louder, sitting up slowly. Kanda sat up quickly as he grabbed the closest bin he could, holding it out in front of the boy, who practically ripped the bin out of his hands and promptly vomited into it. Kanda was unfazed by this, especially since it was beginning to happen more frequently. Allen panted softly for a minute, trying to catch his breath. After he was sure he wouldn't be sick again, he closed his eyes and took one deep breath. "... What happened?"

He didn't have to look at Kanda to know he was tense. "You started to moan in your sleep, so I turned around to see what was wrong and I touched your shoulder. Your skin was hot." He said. "Then you started mumbling something under your breath."

Swallowing softly, not liking the lingering taste in the back of his throat, he opened his eyes. "What was I saying?"

"You said 'you're getting in the way of things you don't understand'." Kanda replied, repeating what he heard as best as he could.

Nea's words echoed quietly in Allen's mind and he let out a shaky breath, staring ahead at the end of the bed. He couldn't help but swallow again. "... Those weren't my words…" He said softly.

There was silence between the two as Kanda realized what he was saying. There was an overwhelming feeling of disappointment between the both of them. "... It's been months."

Allen smiled sadly, still not looking at him. "I know." He said, chuckling softly. He felt incredibly guilty, like he had done something wrong to cause Nea to attempt his awakening again.

"Is this why you've been so sick the past few days?" Kanda questioned, getting out of bed. Allen could tell he was upset as he started to get dressed.

"I don't know, Kanda. I'm not going to lie and say yes. I've never gotten nauseous over this before."

"You said you felt cramping didn't you?" Kanda questioned, fastening his belt.

"Yes, a few days ago. But my wound wasn't cramping, it was a burning pain." He responded. "We're going to have to tell Central at the next meeting."

Kanda sneered at the words. "Just another thing to throw up in your face."

Allen let out a heavy sigh, standing up from the bed. Carefully setting the bucket on the nightstand next to the bed, he made his way over to Kanda, wrapping his arms around him. The elder grunted when his arms were basically restrained, but Allen didn't care. "Don't be angry. Everything is okay." He said, resting his cheek against Kanda's back.

"I'm not angry at you, Moyashi."

"It feels like you are." Allen said. He felt Kanda breathe in and sigh heavily. "Please, I already feel like shit. I don't want you to be angry on top of it."

Kanda wanted to stay angry. He was angry at that damned Noah, who he desperately wished would just go away. Raising his hand to cup over Allen's, he turned his head a bit to the right to peer over his shoulder. "Let me go blow off some steam. I'll meet you down in the cafeteria, okay?"

Content with that answer, Allen nodded. He didn't let go right away.

"Don't squeeze me-"

Allen didn't listen, tightening his arms around Kanda as tight as he could for a second before he let go, grinning afterward.

Grunting and placing a hand on his chest, Kanda turned to pout at him. "You had to do that, didn't you, brat?"

"I'll never not do it. The day I stop, then you know there's something wrong." Allen said with a smile, walking off to clean out the bin.


Allen made his way down to the cafeteria like Kanda had suggested making his way hesitantly to the window. It had been three weeks since Kanda's birthday, and during this last one, Allen had been experiencing random fits of nausea and body aches. Most notable was a slight pain coming from his abdominal area. It concerned him since that's where his healed wound was. It hadn't bothered him this whole time, why would it start again? It was healed. It stressed him out to think about and he pushed it to the back of his mind. He said good morning to Jerry, asking for his usual, even though he was still feeling a bit queasy.

"Allen, honey, you look a bit pale. Are you feeling alright?" Jerry asked, stirring something in the pot in front of him.

Smiling reassuringly, Allen nodded. "I'm fine, no need to worry."

"I'm adding a soup to your order just to be on the safe side." Jerry insisted, turning his back to him. Allen chuckled softly and waited for his food to be done. When it was, Allen thanked him and carried his tray off to the table he found Lavi and Krory sitting at.

"You look like shit!" Lavi exclaimed, gasping softly. Krory looked at the redhead in outrage and Allen pouted as he sat.

"Thank you for your kind words, Lavi." Allen said sarcastically.

"I'm just worried about you, buddy. Are you sick?" He asked, picking up a forkful of beef and rice.

"Well, I had a fever in the middle of the night and I threw up this morning." Allen said slowly. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Chaoji Han walk over and sit down next to Lavi. He tried to greet him and was met with a stiff nod.

"Have you been to the infirmary yet?" Krory asked his young friend. "Perhaps they have medicine to give you."

Allen smiled at Krory before pulling over his soup, the only thing that he could think to stomach at the moment. "I'll go down to the infirmary if it keeps up." That was a lie. Allen had no intention of going to the infirmary. He was sure it would pass.

The soup was delicious and it did wonders to help calm his stomach. He moved onto the rest of his meal, chatting with the other three sitting with him.

After the group finished eating, the group decided to go mess around in the training room. "I'm going to go back to my room real quick, is that okay?" Allen asked with a smile, pointing with his thumb down the hall in the direction of his room.

"No problem, buddy. You know where to find us." Lavi told him, giving him a pat on the back before the other three went down the opposite hall.

The second the group was out of sight, Allen made a beeline down the hall. He definitely wasn't going to make it back to his room, but fortunately, there was a public restroom close by. Throwing the door open and collapsing in front of the toilet, Allen threw up all of breakfast into the porcelain bowl. He coughed afterwards, breathing shakily as he kept his eyes closed. The only thing that crossed his mind was that this was a stomach bug. A stomach bug that was on and off again and lasted a week. Maybe Lavi and Krory were right. Maybe he should go to the infirmary.

Tomorrow. Definitely tomorrow.

After he was sure he wouldn't be sick again, he slowly stood up and flushed the toilet. He walked over to wash his hands before washing his mouth out a few times. For good measure, he splashed some cool water on his face. Taking a deep breath, he gently pat his face dry and left the bathroom, continuing down the hall. Rather than go to his room, he went to the lounge area. His stomach had begun to ache again and paired with the lingering nausea, he wanted nothing more than to sit down. He collapsed onto one of the couches, pulling his knees up as he rested his head on the back of the couch. He closed his eyes again as he pressed his right hand to his stomach, breathing out heavily through his nose.

Allen felt something sit on top of his knees and he opened his eyes. Smiling at his golem, he lifted his hand up to stroke him carefully with his finger. "Where have you been, Tim?"

Tim leaned into his touch happily for a few minutes before rolling forward and landing against Allen's stomach gently. He settled there and nuzzled against him, curling his wings around himself.

Allen smiled and carefully pet Tim's wings. "You know I'm not feeling well, huh? Are you worried about me?"

"Yes."

Allen nearly fell off the couch when he heard Lenalee speak from the archway, sucking in a breath and Timcanpy jumped in alarm. "Lenalee! You scared me!"

"I'm sorry! I didn't know when to interrupt." She exclaimed, walking over to the couch. She sat similarly to Allen, facing him. "What's going on with you?"

"You're gonna yell at me if I tell you." Allen said, pouting softly.

"I'm going to yell at you regardless, so spill."

Allen couldn't stop the laugh that escaped his lips after that, covering his mouth with his hand.

"Allen, I'm serious!" Lenalee exclaimed again, though her tone said slightly otherwise. "Lavi and Krory told me you've been throwing up."

Allen whined softly, laying his head back against the couch. "They ratted me out?"

"Allen." Lenalee huffed, gently grabbing his face and squeezing his cheeks softly. "Why haven't you gone to the infirmary?"

The boy puffed out his cheeks a bit. "I think it's gonna pass soon." He answered. She gave him a look. "Seriously! I think it's just a stomach bug."

"What stomach bug lasts a week long, Allen?" Lenalee asked seriously, letting go of his face. "Please go to the infirmary later on. It's better to be safe than sorry."

Allen sighed softly, closing his eyes for a moment. He opened them to look at her again.

"If you don't, I'm telling on you." She tacked on. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

"You wouldn't."

"Try me."

"Fine. Later on, I'll go and speak with Head Nurse." He said, earning a smile from his friend.

"'Atta boy, Allen!" Lavi exclaimed, walking into the lounge. "I'm worried too, you know. You're never sick like this."

"I still think everyone is overreacting." Allen said, smiling softly.

"I think you're under reacting." He said, plopping down next to Lenalee.

"I second that." She said.

Allen sighed and fell back onto the couch, laying his head on the arm of it. He threw his own arm across his head. "Okay, fine. I'll go and see if there's anything they can give me."

"What's Yuu have to say about this, anyway?" Lavi asked, leaning his head against the palm of his hand.

"Why would he have anything to say about this?" Allen asked in a monotone voice, not moving his arm from his face. The silence he got was a confirmation that Lavi was now on the list of people who knew he and Kanda were dating. Oh boy, the headache was coming back. "Lavi?"

"I-I… kind of told him." Lenalee said, guilt in her voice. "It was after Kanda got up and left on his birthday. After you left, I told him that you guys are together and he needs to be more careful with the teasing."

"I'll take the blame here. She wouldn't have felt like she needed to say something if I wasn't teasing Yuu." Lavi fessed up, rubbing the back of his head.

"It's okay, I don't care." Allen said, not moving his arm. "I was going to tell you eventually anyway. Kanda might kill you, though."

Lavi laughed and waved him off. He turned his head to glance at the entryway, fully turning in that direction when he caught a glimpse of black hair. He grabbed Lenalee's shoulder. "He's escaping."

Lenalee got up from the couch and rushed out, turning the corner. That got Allen to move his arm from covering his eyes. "Who's escaping?"

A few moments later, Lenalee returned with a flushed looking Kanda, who gave Lavi a dirty look as he walked to the couch. Allen's eyes glistened as he watched his boyfriend approach, looking up at him. Kanda carefully brushed his fingers against his white hair. "Sit up for a second, Moyashi." He said quietly. Allen did so and Kanda sat down on the couch, letting Allen lay his head back down on his lap. Lavi let Allen rest his legs on top of his lap as Lenalee took a seat on the other side of the redhead. He smiled, tilting his head back a bit to look up at Kanda, who brushed back Allen's bangs with a single finger, gazing back down at him. "I didn't see you in the cafeteria."

"I finished eating. You were taking too long." Allen said, keeping his smile.

"Then he got sick again." Lavi ratted out his friend.

"Lavi…" Allen whined softly. "How did you even know, anyway? Did you follow me?"

Lavi shook his head. "You looked like you were about to blow chunks when you left and I can put two and two together."

Allen sighed and looked up to see Kanda scowling down at him. "I already promised I would go to the infirmary later. Stop giving me that look." He said, raising a hand to pinch Kanda's cheek.

The group chatted with each other for a while. And with Kanda petting Allen's hair in slow, gentle strokes, the boy managed to fall asleep in the middle of it.


Allen did not go to the infirmary that night, insisting he felt fine. He let another three weeks pass, a big mistake on his part. Not only was he still sick, it had gotten worse. He was physically exhausted all the time, which he tried not to let it affect him on missions. He gave it all he had, which only made him more tired once he returned home.

To help him relax, Kanda persuaded him to start meditating with him. It was something Allen needed on this particular morning, the day of his meeting with Central. With his eyes closed, Allen inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly.

"You're so fucking loud." Kanda mumbled from next to him.

"Shut up, I'm stressed." Allen whispered loudly. He took another deep breath, quieter this time, and breathed out again. They sat quietly together for a while before Allen's stomach started growling.

Opening his eyes, he turned to look at Kanda, who huffed as he stood. "Let's go, Moyashi. Let's get breakfast." He said, reaching out his hand to help him up.

Taking his hand and thanking him as he stood, Allen smiled. "I love you." He said, leaning his head up to kiss Kanda's cheek.

Blushing, Kanda looked down at him. "You're awfully affectionate this morning."

Allen's smile widened. "Did you want me to spank you instead?"

"Sure. I feel like kicking your ass today." Kanda said. Allen chuckled and pecked him on the cheek again before they left and made their way to the cafeteria.

After breakfast, Allen was trying his best to calm himself down as they made their way to Komui's office. He wasn't excited to report on Nea's latest attempt at taking over, and he was a bit afraid to see how it would put a damper on his progress. Maybe they would put a restriction on his freedom to go on missions. Many thoughts began to rush him at once. What if they quarantined him again?

He only realized they were there when Kanda carefully put his hand on Allen's lower back as they walked into the office. They were greeted by Komui as always. Head Nurse was there, Bridget standing next to her. He felt a familiar aura from the attending Crow, and he could only guess why.

He went through the usual drudgery of questions, trying not to let on how nervous he was. He was grateful for his poker face for moments like this. Then, the dreaded question came up.

"When was the last time the Fourteenth tried to make an appearance?"

Allen looked up at Komui for a moment before looking over at the Crow. He remembered what the scowling swordsman had said just a few months back.

"You need to start trying to stay one step ahead of them."

With that thought, the words slipped right off his tongue. "November of last year."

The reaction to the information was normal. Except from Kanda, whose head shot up and eyes widened. No one noticed him except Allen, who smiled at him.

The rest of the exam carried on. Once concluded, the Crow excused themselves. Making eye contact with Allen through their mask, Allen confirmed his suspicions of the Crow being Link. How Rouvelier weaseled him back into this without raising any red flags was beyond him. Allen and Kanda were excused when he left.

As soon as the Chief's door closed behind them, Kanda grabbed onto Allen's wrist to stop him from walking away. "Why did you lie?"

Allen turned and looked up at him innocently. "You told me to stay one step ahead, didn't you?"

Kanda opened his mouth to speak but then shut it. "... I didn't mean like this, Allen."

"Why not, Kanda?" Allen questioned. "What would they have done about it? Not help me, that's for sure. They only would have punished me. And what if they took me off duty? There would be less Exorcists in the field. And so far, Marie and I are the only ones who can specifically pinpoint akuma." He argued, a little frustrated. "Did you want them to throw me in the dungeon again, Kanda?"

Kanda swallowed as he released his grip on Allen's wrist. "... No. I don't want that."

Allen pulled his hand back carefully. "Thank you. Now let's go."

"Where?"

"To take a nap. I'm Kanda tired." Allen said with a grin, nudging him in the side as they walked.

Kanda looked down at him, incredibly disappointed and slightly disgusted with the corny pun. "I want to break up."


A few days had passed since the meeting with Central, and Allen was happy to say that the nausea had seemed to dissipate. He was still a bit tired, but he thought his mysterious bout of illness was finally gone. He was enjoying his day with Lenalee and Lavi, the three of them sitting in the lounge. It was a bit hot, so they had a window opened, letting the breeze in. Timcanpy was cuddled against Allen's stomach while the white haired boy pet him softly.

"Did Tim always sit on your lap like that?" Lavi asked curiously, hands behind his head as he reclined on the couch.

"Not really. He's been doing it a lot the past few weeks. Maybe he's cold." Allen said, looking down at the golden golem as he pet him.

"Can golems get cold?" Lavi wondered.

"I don't think so." Lenalee added.

Allen was going to say something when Lenalee's golem started up, beeping for a second before her brother's voice came from its speaker. His tone was a bit serious. "Lenalee! Is Allen with you?"

"Yes, why?" She answered back, the boy looking up.

"Allen, please report to my office as soon as possible. It's urgent." He said before hanging up.

As Allen walked down the hall to Komui's office, he wondered what mission he would be sent on. It was the only thing he could think of. His thoughts were only confirmed when he opened the door, stepping in. He saw Kanda sitting on the couch with his back to him, Marie standing up next to him where he sat, and Chaoji, also sitting and not facing him.

"Allen?" He heard Marie speak as he stepped inside.

Smiling, the boy gave a small wave, mostly for Komui since Marie couldn't see him. "Hello, Marie."

"Welcome, Allen. Please take a seat." Komui said, gesturing toward the couch. Allen noticed that he looked concerned, even if he was trying to hide it. He nodded and sat between Kanda and Chaoji, resting his hands on his lap.

Chaoji was sitting on his right, arms crossed as he tried to sit as close to the arm of the chair as possible. Kanda also had his arms crossed, his right leg crossed over the left. He made no move to move over when Allen sat, which relieved the boy a bit.

Komui looked over his document one more time before taking a deep breath. "Well, let's jump right in." He said. "There's been a somewhat gathering of akuma in a town in Southern Italy during the evening. We're not sure why it's a target, as there doesn't seem to be any Innocence located there. The reason we're sending four Exorcists is because it seems to be a lot of level threes gathered there, possibly a level four. They're attacking the townspeople and there's already been numerous deaths. We have Finders out there to keep the akuma at bay, but they can only keep the city barricaded for so long."

"Wouldn't sending Miranda with us be a good idea?" Chaoji questioned. "She can help barricade the city."

Komui pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and sighed. "I debated it, but I'm not sure she can handle covering a whole town for a long period of time." He explained. "If it becomes too much for just the four of you, I'll be sending out reinforcements. I wanted to send Lenalee, but she's leaving for a previous mission in a few hours."

Allen nodded softly as he listened to Komui speak. Innocent people were dying. He needed to get out there as soon as possible.

"Now then. Here are your mission briefings. As you know, General Kanda will be in charge of this mission. Please keep the bickering to a minimum." Komui added, earning a glare from the General as he snatched the file from the older man. "Good luck, you four."

Chaoji and Marie walked off to their rooms to get ready while Kanda stayed behind with Allen. "We'll meet by the Ark entrance. Go right to your room and pack, no wandering around. Got it?"

Allen chuckled and fixed Kanda's collar a bit. "Yes, sir." Kanda rolled his eyes and gave him a quick kiss before they parted, walking to their respective rooms.

Allen happened to pass by the infirmary on the way. As he approached, he could hear the sound of someone wailing from the inside getting louder. He swallowed the lump forming in his throat. Did they lose someone else? He noticed Krory standing outside the doors with a small bouquet of flowers, a sorrowful look on his face. Allen approached him slowly. "Krory? What happened?" He asked softly.

Lifting his head to look at his younger comrade, Krory then glanced back at the infirmary doors. "I believe Adelina's had a death in her family." He responded quietly.

Allen's eyes widened as he looked to the door, hearing her sobs. He couldn't understand what she was saying. He could pick up a word here or there and gather that she was speaking Italian. He could hear Head Nurse's voice as she tried to comfort her niece. He could tell she was crying too. He then realized that this was part of the human casualties Komui was talking about. "... I'm going on a mission to her hometown… We're going to make sure no one else there gets hurt." He said confidently. "Were you bringing her flowers, Krory?"

The older man's face flushed lightly. "I…"

Allen offered a comforting smile. It contained a hint of sadness. "I'm not going to tease you, Krory. I think she would really appreciate it in a time like this. Get in there." He said, stepping aside. Looking at the flowers again, Krory soon gave a confident nod. He walked into the infirmary, letting the door close behind him. Smiling softly, Allen continued on his way to his room.

Once he got there, he laid out the things he needed on his bed, next to his suitcase. He folded one pair of pants and put them in when he nearly toppled over as pain began to radiate from his stomach. Pressing his right hand to his lower abdomen and using his left to lean over his bed, he shut his eyes tightly as he rode the pain out. It lasted only a couple of seconds before it dissipated. He hadn't realized he was holding his breath until he heard a knock on his door and a startled gasp left his lips.

"You better be packing in there." He heard his boyfriend call out.

"I-I am…" He responded shakily. "You can come in."

The door handle turned before the door opened slowly, Kanda walking in. He placed his suitcase on the ground and saw Allen hunched over his bed. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing. Just a little stomach cramp." Allen responded, sitting up. He turned around to smile reassuringly at him. A fake smile that Kanda saw right through.

"Just another cramp? How long has it been since they started?" Kanda questioned, walking over to him. He saw Allen begin to answer but cut him off. "Don't say 'it'll pass' because it hasn't yet. You're being a stubborn brat and as soon as we come back from this mission, you're going to the infirmary even if I have to drag your scrawny ass down there."

Allen sighed softly and pouted his bottom lip out the slightest bit. "You think I have a scrawny ass?"

"Stop trying to joke your way out of this, I'm being serious." Kanda said, narrowing his eyes.

Allen let out a heavier sigh. "Fine. I'll go when I come back. You don't have to drag my scrawny ass to the infirmary." He said, smiling again. This one was the tiniest bit tired.

Kanda walked over to him and pulled him closer by the waist, leaning his head down to kiss him carefully. He noticed Allen's right hand was still lingering on his stomach. He reached down to gently take it into his own, making his bean sprout's smile widen. "Thanks for worrying about me."

Kanda hummed in response. Allen knew he wouldn't get an actual verbal response and he was okay with that. He finished up his packing rather quickly and the two made their way to meet Marie and Chaoji at the Ark entrance. Footsteps echoed, getting louder as someone sprinted after them from behind.

"Allen Walker!"

The two of them turned around as the brunette nurse came to a halt from her sprint. "You're going to my hometown?"

Allen looked at her, remembering that he had told Krory he was leaving on a mission. "Yes. We both are."

Adelina looked at the two of them silently for a second before she found her voice to speak. "Please, save my town." She told them, gripping tightly around her necklace. "For my brother."

Allen saw the look of determination on her face, but he could still detect the hint of sorrow she was still feeling. He smiled warmly at her.

"Of course. You have my word."

He watched as her eyes lit up. She gave a small smile in return and a nod, relief flooding her expression. "Thank you, Allen." She said before turning back. He couldn't help but notice the flower pinned in her hair.

Allen turned his attention back to the General, who didn't look very pleased. "When are you going to stop making promises you aren't sure you can keep?" He asked as they continued on their way to the entrance.

Allen smiled as he responded. "This is a promise I'm determined to keep."


A priest greeted the group as they arrived through the Ark gate. They were in a Church in Rome, Italy, approximately three hours away from their destination of Sorrento. After grabbing something to eat, the four Exorcists entered a carriage waiting for them, being driven by a Finder. Kanda spoke thoroughly on how he planned to carry out their initial attack, under the assumption that things would work smoothly, which they never did.

This proved to be the case when in the middle of Kanda's attack plan, Allen's cursed eye activated, silencing the whole carriage.


Chapter 5 is up! Hope everyone enjoys it.

DGM belongs to Katsura Hoshino