Allen's hand pulled the curtain of the window out of the way before opening it. He stuck his head out, looking in front of the carriage as a level two akuma got ready to attack. Hoisting himself out of the window and onto the roof, he heard Kanda yell at him.

"Moyashi! Don't do anything fucking stupid!"

"Crown Clown! Activate!"

The carriage slid to a stop and Allen got his footing before leaping forward, extending his Clown Belt to grab the akuma by the arm. Hitting the ground, Allen used his momentum to throw it down on the ground, grunting as he pulled his arm down. The akuma crashed, taking a moment to get up. Before it had a chance, Allen had already rushed forward, swiping his claws at it.

Something loud crashed behind him and he whipped around to look and see what it was. He gathered that Chaoji had thrown an entire tree, momentarily throwing off the three level twos attacking. Marie had caught two in his strings, slamming them together before finishing them off with his poisonous song.

As for the one in the middle, it tried to lunge forward at Marie, only to be met with the edge of Mugen. Landing with ease, the General looked around.

"I thought Komui said level threes." Allen called out, catching his breaths.

"You thought we'd send out the big guns first?" Allen heard from his left, alarming him. "That was just a warm up, Exorcists!"

Allen barely had a chance to wrap Crown Clown around himself before the akuma knocked him out of the way, sending him flying. Allen slid against the ground, grunting as he eventually came to a stop. He opened his eyes to see the group of level threes approaching them, counting. 'Good.' He thought. 'If they're focused on us, they won't attack the barrier around the city.' Sitting up, Allen called out to the others. "Kanda! There's fifteen!"

Kanda cursed to himself quietly, jumping out of the way as one tried to attack him.

Chaoji grabbed the akuma by its leg as it tried to follow the General and slammed it into the ground.

Allen rushed over to where the others were located. He made eye contact with Kanda, who he noted was giving him a silent signal. Nodding, Allen prepared himself as Kanda released his First Illusion, the Netherworld Insects attacking one of the two akuma standing in his way. Once it was destroyed Allen rushed forward, ready to unleash Cross Grave.

That was the plan, anyway. What he wasn't expecting was the sudden stabbing pain in his lower stomach, sliding to his knees as it literally knocked the wind out of him. His vision doubled as he pressed his right hand to where it hurt, mouth open as he struggled to either scream or breathe.

The akuma in front of him laughed maniacally, charging its attack. "Wrong move, Exorcist! Goodbye!"

Everything seemed to move in slow motion as Allen braced for impact, barely registering that Kanda jumped over him, plunging Mugen deep into the akuma's chest. Turning to look at him as the machine died, Kanda was both furious and filled with concern for his lover. "Oi! What's the matter with you, Moyashi?!" He yelled. When his lover didn't pick his head up or answer him, he was suddenly filled with dread. "Answer me!"

"Ah!" Allen suddenly cried out, pressing his hand harder against his stomach. The very tips of his claws started to dig into the dirt from the force he was using to press his left hand into the ground.

Kanda wanted to run to him, but a glint of a scythe caught his vision and he drew Mugen to block the attack that was aimed for his throat. Letting out a scream of anger, he threw the akuma back, swinging his sword toward it. "Chaoji! Here, now!" He ordered, trying his best to attack the enemy and also shield his seemingly injured lover.

Having just destroyed another akuma, Chaoji ran to them. Kanda turned his head the slightest bit when he heard footsteps. "Take Allen to the city now! The Finders will let you in!"

"But General, there's akuma here to fight-"

"Did you hear what I just said?" Kanda growled, head whipping around to glare at the Chinese Exorcist. "Take him to the city now! That's a fucking order!"

As much as Chaoji really didn't want to leave his teammates to bring Allen into the city, he knew he couldn't argue with Kanda. Swiftly, he knelt down to where Allen was hunched over, helping him stand. Allen's head swam as he was lifted up and with another, slightly less severe pang in his gut, everything started to blur together. Before he knew it, everything went black.

When Allen opened his eyes, everything was bright. He was sitting up, on the edge of a cliff, the ocean rolling beneath, though he couldn't hear the water. He could feel that he was propped up against a body, his head resting against a broad shoulder. How did he get there? Why couldn't he remember?

Despite the salty breeze the ocean gave off, Allen felt pleasantly warm. He found himself letting out a soft sigh, earning a kiss placed against his temple. He noticed that Kanda had his arm wrapped around his waist, his hand pressed to Allen's stomach, while Allen's rested on top. It wasn't unpleasant, just somewhere where Kanda didn't usually rest his hands. But before Allen could question why, he was abruptly woken up.

Being startled awake, Allen's silver eyes shot open wide as he flinched from the noise. Turning his head to the left, he saw Kanda angrily gazing down at him, and upon further investigation, he could see where Kanda had thrown Mugen against the wall.

The silence was tense as Allen tried to avoid Kanda's gaze, the General clearly not happy with the situation at hand.

"... Where am I?" Allen asked softly, swallowing softly. His mouth was dry.

"An inn." Kanda answered curtly, arms crossed.

Allen nodded as he slowly sat up. He rubbed his arm nervously, avoiding eye contact. He knew what was coming. Kanda was going to chew him out for not going to the infirmary sooner.

Said samurai pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath. "... Are you finally gonna stop being a stubborn brat and admit you're being ridiculous?"

Allen turned his head away, looking down. Kanda grabbed him by the face suddenly and turned his head back so he was facing him. "You almost had your fucking head sliced off today." He hissed, glaring. "Let's forget about the other and two and me. You almost fucking died today."

The severity of Kanda's tone finally hit Allen, silver eyes tearing up. He shut them tightly, letting out a small cry.

Kanda didn't expect the reaction from the boy. He fully expected him to have a smart answer and for it to turn into an argument. He released Allen's face from his grasp and watched him cry for a minute or so.

"I-I'm sorry, Kanda… You're right. Lenalee was right. Something's wrong with me, and I can't figure it out. I'm just scared." He cried, breath hitching as he tried to breathe. He wiped his eyes against his sleeve, sniffling. "I'm afraid of what the doctor will find. What if it's Noah related? I-I just- I don't know, Yuu. I don't know. I'm scared."

Kanda gaped at Allen, not knowing what to say. The younger suddenly stood up, walking past him. He paced around, rubbing his face slowly as he breathed in and out steadily. His path was obstructed as he walked into Kanda, restrained by his muscular arms wrapping around him. He couldn't help it as he choked out another sob, burying his face in Kanda's coat.

Kanda let his boyfriend cry, resting his head against the top of his, hands on his back. He thought the reaction was a little strange, adding to his worry. Something was going on and it was making the both of them nervous. "Get a grip, Moyashi. Calm down." He said softly, lifting a hand to stroke the white hair.

Allen cried for a few minutes, clutching the fabric of Kanda's Exorcist coat. When his cries started to taper off, being left with a few sniffles, Kanda pulled away to look at him. He placed his finger under his chin, tilting his head up a bit. "Stop the crying. Everything is okay." He said. "You just need to stop fucking around and start taking whatever is going on seriously. I'm not losing you over some mysterious illness you could have cured if you would have taken yourself to the doctor sooner." He explained. "I'd personally bring you back and beat your ass."

That made Allen laugh softly, leaning in to kiss Kanda. After, he smiled up at him. "I promise, I'm going as soon as we get home."

"Good."

Allen added a small eye roll after that and let go of Kanda. "Where are Marie and Chaoji?"

Kanda started to unbutton his coat. "In the room across the hall. Marie offered to room with Chaoji so you and I could be together."

Another smile pulled at the corner of Allen's lips. He knew the only other person Chaoji would have wanted to room with would have been Kanda, so he appreciated it. He then started to hear voices outside their door. It sounded like a woman, frantically speaking to the Finder. He couldn't understand what she was saying, but it sounded like the Finder was trying to calm her down. "Dove sono gli esorcisti?" He heard her say. He definitely recognized that word, and given the fact his eye didn't activate and she wasn't an akuma, Allen decided to open the door, much to Kanda's dismay.

The older woman's head turned toward Allen, tears in her eyes. She looked so familiar.

He recognized the same features that Head Nurse had, aside from the dark brown hair. Eyes widening in realization, he spoke to her. "You're Adelina's mother."

Relief immediately washed over her features as she smiled at him and took his hands into her own. "My darling, how is she? Is she okay? My sister?" She asked hopefully.

Allen gave her a comforting smile. "Your daughter is just fine. And your sister as well. She's saved my life more times than I can count." He told her. "Both of them send their love."

Her eyes teared up again. "Thank you, thank you so much. I knew you Exorcists would come and help us. God bless you."

The exchange with Adelina's mother had instantly lifted Allen's mood, which helped him greatly with falling asleep. His strange dreams continued, only this time, he could hear a child laughing, calling to their father. He vaguely recognized the innocent voice, deeming it as his own. The next morning when he woke up, it was the first thing he thought about. Why now? They couldn't have been Noah memories… It was his own childhood. He wanted to ask the woman from his dreams if she had anything to do with them, but he hadn't dreamt of the angel for a while now.

He was pulled out of those thoughts when he heard Kanda speaking on the other side of the door. What caught him off guard was when he heard Lenalee speak back to him. He shot up from the bed when the door was opened, the two of them walking in. Kanda almost found the bean sprout's expression amusing.

Lenalee smiled warmly at Allen. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine… What are you doing here, Lenalee? Komui said you had a mission." He said, confused.

She nodded, holding her hands in front of her. "I did, I finished early in the morning."

Before Allen could ask again what she was doing there, Kanda spoke. "I called her here. She's stepping in. I'm having you patrol the city to make sure there aren't any akuma on the inside."

Allen's jaw dropped, eyes wide. "That's just technical talk! You're taking me out of the mission!"

"I told you if you didn't listen, I would." Allen started to argue, but Kanda cut him off. "Hey! We told you to see a doctor at the Order and you didn't fucking listen! Now, for once just fucking listen to me! You're taking it easy for the rest of the mission, and that's final!"

Allen's cheeks flushed after he was yelled at by his lover, silence filling the room. As much as he wanted to protest, Allen knew that Kanda wouldn't be changing his mind. What was best for the wellbeing of everyone was that he stayed within the town, much to his dislike. He let out a soft sigh, lowering his head. "... Yes, sir…"

The answer surprised Kanda, but he didn't let it show. He kept his serious expression, turning to leave the room. "We'll be leaving in a few minutes. Freshen up if you want." He said to Lenalee before leaving.

She nodded in acknowledgment before looking at Allen. "I'm sorry, Allen. I know you're disappointed."

Allen sighed again, rubbing the back of his head. "It's okay, it's not your fault. He's right. I should have listened to you guys before. Now I just gotta deal with it." He said, smiling at her. "Go on, get ready to head out. I'll be fine, I promise."

Lenalee looked him over for a second before she nodded. "If you run into any trouble, please contact us. Okay?"

"I promise." He said, earning a look from the girl. "I mean it! I promise!"

Once she was convinced that Allen was going to take it easy, Lenalee left with the rest of the group, leaving for the outside of the city.

On the inside, Allen leisurely walked around the town, Timcanpy perched on his head. Sighing, Allen glanced up at his golem. "Timcanpy, are you sure I'm going the right way?" He could feel Tim nodding on his head. He was trying to find Adelina's mother's house, the woman insisting that if any of them needed anything, that they were welcome to come to her. So, in his loneliness, that's what he decided to do. Trying to, anyway. Timcanpy seemed confident that he knew where he was going, so Allen followed his direction.

Even if he wasn't quite sure where he was going, Allen admitted that it was a nice walk. The city was so lovely, and the outside, from what he could see, was beautiful. He mentally added it to the list of places he wanted to come back to with Kanda. The normalcy amongst the townspeople despite what was going on on the outside was comforting. He watched people interacting on the street together, selling each other goods, exchanging pleasant conversations, a mother walking with her child. It all warmed his heart and he began to feel hopeful again.

As he watched the mother and child for a few minutes, feeling a light flutter in his chest, he was startled by someone approaching him.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you." She said, putting a hand on her chest.

"Oh, no. It's alright, I wasn't paying attention." Allen insisted, smiling at her. "Is everything okay?"

The woman smiled at him somewhat sheepishly. "Well, I'm not from here, and I'm afraid I'm lost. I was wondering if you could help me find the place I'm looking for."

Uh oh. Allen wasn't doing so hot in finding where he himself was going. He didn't want to upset the woman by only getting her more lost than she already was, but he also didn't want to leave her to fend for herself. He had Timcanpy. He'd be fine. "Of course I can." He said with a smile, lighting her face up.

"Oh, thank God." She said, breathing a sigh of relief. She began walking with him. "My name is Agnes." She told him. Something felt familiar and comforting about her, but Allen swore he had never met her. He also wasn't expecting Timcanpy to open his wings in surprise, starting to fly around the woman's head in excitement.

"Timcanpy, leave her be!" He scolded the golem lightly before turning his attention back to his temporary companion. "Nice meet you, Agnes. Where are you from?" He asked her, giving her a friendly smile.

"The Netherlands." She answered. "I love to travel, so I thought I'd start here. I probably should have invested in a map first." She said with a chuckle.

"A map is always a good idea. I probably should have invested in one too." He said. Timcanpy smacked him on the forehead. "My apologies, Timcanpy. You're my map."

Agnes looked up at the golem for a moment before he began to fly around her head again. She let out a chuckle, lifting her hand to let him fly around it. "What are you doing in the city? Are you doing business?" She asked.

"I guess you can say that." Allen said, chuckling. "I'm a clergyman. My group and I were asked to come here."

Agnes kept her smile. "Are you an Exorcist?" She almost laughed at his shocked expression. "Don't worry, I'm not an enemy. I once knew an Exorcist of the Black Order. They also had a communication golem like this one."

Allen was a little surprised by this. He wondered who the Exorcist was. Agnes didn't look any older than twenty five, so it had to be someone he knew. Yet, he didn't ask.

"You're not wearing your coat. Why aren't you in the field?" She asked curiously.

"Well…" Allen started out, letting out a soft sigh. "I've been putting something off for the past few weeks, and it almost got my teammates and I killed because of it. My General kicked me off the mission." He tried to explain without giving too much detail.

Agnes nodded, looking ahead. "It sounds like it's for the best." She told him. "I don't see anything good coming from throwing yourself back into battle if you're unwell."

"You're right." Allen agreed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was upset at first, but I realized that he's right. As much as I hate to admit that." He heard the woman giggle at that and it made him smile.

The two of them came to a stop on the side of the road, Agnes turning to face him with a smile. "Your General has your best interest in mind. As for your predicament, I feel getting to the bottom of it will bring about something new and unexpected."

Allen didn't know how to respond to the statement. It caught him a little off guard. He turned to look at her, being met with a kind face.

"This is where I leave you. Thank you for helping me get where I needed to go. As for your predicament, even if things seem bleak, I believe you'll find a light at the end of the tunnel." She told him, taking his hand to shake, thanking him. Her hand was warm and comforting, much like her presence. Allen smiled at her again and before he had a chance to speak, he heard another familiar voice.

"Oh, young Exorcist!" He heard Adelina's mother call from behind him. He turned her head to look at her as Agnes let go of his hand.

"Take care, Allen Walker."

When Allen turned back around to see the woman off, she was gone. Looking up and down the street, she was nowhere to be found. As he wondered where she possibly could have gone and how coincidentally both of their destinations were on the same residential street, he thought back on their conversation. He almost felt his heart stop in his chest.

He didn't recall telling her his name.

And then he suddenly remembered where he recognized her voice from.

"You're not Nea D. Campbell. You're Allen Walker."

It was her! The woman he saw in his dreams! "But I had so many questions…" He whined to himself, gripping his hair softly as he closed his eyes. 'Who is she? Is she a Noah? She can't be… The only Noah missing is Wrath, and somehow, she doesn't seem like the kind of person to harbor those emotions. Even though that probably wouldn't matter… Christ, my head hurts…' He thought to himself, groaning softly as he rubbed his temple.

"Are you feeling alright? You look a little pale." He heard Adelina's mother say as she walked closer to him. "Caro, you look like you're going to collapse. Come inside and I will make you lunch." She told him, gently taking him by the arm. He didn't object, feeling lightheaded. He should have brought water with him.

Luckily, Adelina's mother, who was named Norma, had poured him a glass of water while she made lunch. Taking small sips so he didn't make himself sick, he made conversation with her. She told him all kinds of things, like how Head Nurse's first name was Eugenia. She then went on to tell him how the akuma attacks started.

Norma had five children, four of which were adults, and the youngest being around the same age as Allen. Leone, her teenager, was visiting the second oldest, Nicolo, at his home. When mysterious monsters began showing up and attacking, Nicolo protected his younger brother from the attacks, losing his life in the process. He was one of twenty three casualties that night.

Listening to this made Allen's heart ache, even as he was served lunch, his appetite on the rocks. "I'm so sorry. That's horrible."

Wiping some tears from her eyes, Norma shook her head and smiled. "I felt hopeless after it happened. But after I heard from our Priest that the Order would be sending Exorcists to us, I felt like I could breathe again." She told him. "You all are amazing. You have no idea what it means to us that you're here."

Allen felt his chest tighten as a lump in his throat formed. Despite the compliments, he felt incredibly guilty for not being out there, fighting with his friends, fighting for the people who were lost. He looked up when he felt a hand on top of his head to find the older woman smile at him.

"I met a young woman this morning. The female Exorcist who showed up in your place." She said.

Allen sniffled softly. "Lenalee?"

Norma nodded in confirmation. "Yes, Miss Lenalee. She's a lovely woman. She told me you'd be feeling hard on yourself today."

"Of course she did." Allen let out a chuckle, wiping a stray tear from his eye.

Smiling a little wider, Norma pet down Allen's hair before placing her hand back on top of his head. "Young man, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. You're already doing so much good, you shouldn't strain yourself." She told him. "Burning out won't do anyone good, especially you."

Allen nodded, sniffling softly again as he looked down at his feet. "I just… I'm worried. I don't want anything to happen to my friends. Especially if I'm not there."

Norma smiled warmly at him. "You're such a kind boy. Have faith in them." She said, giving his head one last pat before she straightened herself. "Now eat. Your friends told me you have a big appetite, and I know you must be starving from walking around all morning." She told him.

Allen's mood lifted instantly, eager to eat. He appreciated the hospitality, and a small part of him content that Kanda had made him stay behind. What he wound up deciding to do was to stay with her most of the day, helping out with anything he could to repay her for her kindness.


Allen returned to the inn before the sun began to set. Norma waved goodbye out the door, yelling after him to send the others once they returned so they could have dinner. After going back to his room, Allen flopped onto his bed and threw his arms out to the side, letting out a heavy sigh. A minute or so passed before he threw his left arm over his eyes. He wondered what the others were doing, if they'd be back soon. And then he heard someone turning the door handle. Moving his arm away from his eyes, he saw Kanda walk into the room. Gasping as he sat up, he looked him over, finding various rips and tears in his uniform. "Kanda!"

Shutting the door behind him, Kanda dropped Mugen to the floor, making his way over to the bed as his breath came out in soft huffs. Allen quickly stood from the bed, throwing his arms around his lover, earning a hiss of pain from him. Pulling away, he watched Kanda wrap his arm around his waist. His uniform wasn't torn there, so he guessed he had been hit. "You're hurt." He said without question.

"It's nothing. You just squeezed me too hard." He insisted, moving to sit on the bed.

"I barely touched you." Allen said, turning to face him. The samurai avoided his gaze, frustrating Allen a little. "Take your coat off."

"I'm cold." Kanda lied.

"Take your coat off." Allen repeated, crossing his arms. When Kanda began to scowl, still ignoring him, Allen uncrossed his arms and began unfastening the buttons on his coat himself.

"Hey-"

"Shut up and let me look." Allen said, opening the coat to reveal his shirt underneath. "Now, can you lift up your shirt, or do I have to do that for you too?"

Kanda clicked his tongue, annoyed. He pulled up his shirt, turning his head. The skin over his ribs was bruised badly. It looked incredibly painful.

"Kanda, you fucking idiot, what did you do?"

"What do you mean what did I do? I was fighting akuma, like I was supposed to." He said, a little annoyed that he was being scolded like a reckless child.

"How did that happen? Did you break your ribs?" Allen questioned.

Kanda almost ignored him, but then he sighed, turning his head again. "One of them attacked Lenalee. I got distracted because I looked away for a second and one knocked me against the rocks. It doesn't matter if they're broken. They'll heal."

Allen pressed the palms of his hands against his eyes, feeling rising anger within him. "How many more times will it heal, Kanda? How many more times until you won't heal anymore? You keep using up your life force for these big injuries, and then what?! You'll die!"

"What do you want me to fucking do, Allen?! This is my job! Injury is unavoidable!" Kanda yelled, his voice rising.

"Don't you think I know that? It's my job too, Kanda!" Allen yelled back.

"Why are you on my ass about this?!"

That was the breaking point for Allen. "Because you made me stay behind, and then you got hurt!" Allen screamed, finally snapping. "If that injury killed you, I would have been here playing with myself all day and had no idea! Kanda, that would have killed me!"

Kanda stared at Allen, mouth opened a bit in shock. He watched as Allen broke, his angry demeanor cracking. His fists were shaking and his lip was trembling. "You've been scolding me for not taking care of myself this whole time, and you're doing the same thing to me." He murmured, his voice cracking. "I can't lose you, Kanda. I've already lost enough. I can't lose you too."

Silence filled the room, save for Allen's quiet sniffles as he began to cry. Kanda took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He reached forward and wrapped his arms around Allen's waist, pulling him closer. He rested his forehead against Allen's stomach. "You're so emotional."

Allen let a small laugh leave his lips, another tear falling as he smiled. "You're an idiot."

"Shut up." Allen heard the other mumble.

Allen ran his fingers through Kanda's messy ponytail, letting black strands fall off his fingers. "I love you, okay?"

"Nn." Kanda mumbled again and Allen rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, Adelina's mom has dinner for us. Take a shower, you smell."


After the akuma were exterminated, the town thanked the Exorcists as they left the next morning. Allen made sure to say goodbye to Norma, the woman hugging him tightly as they said their goodbyes. Though everyone was exhausted, they felt good as they left in their carriage. Even Allen, who was feeling nauseous. He kept quiet on the way back to Rome, until it was pointed out by Lenalee.

"I feel like I'm going to be sick." He said calmly, keeping his eyes closed as he laid his head against the carriage door. Everyone looked at him, shutting up.

"Don't throw up on me, or I'll kill you." Kanda warned, arms crossed as he leaned against the opposite side of the carriage as Allen.

"I'm going to aim directly into your lap if you don't shut-" Allen stopped for a second, pressing his lips together as he swallowed. "... Shut up."

The rest of the carriage ride was silent after that. Allen managed to keep his breakfast down, much to his and everyone's relief. Upon returning to the Order, Allen wanted nothing more than to go to his room and go to sleep. He took two steps in that direction before he felt two hands on his shoulders, leading him to the infirmary. Allen whined loudly, begging Kanda to let him take a nap. "I promise I'll go later."

"Can it, brat. I said as soon as we got back, and that's final."

So, as much as Allen didn't want to, he ended up on a bed in the infirmary, arms folded with a pout on his face, like the brat his beloved boyfriend accused him of being. Kanda left him there to drop off the mission report. It seemed like Allen was waiting there forever before a doctor came.

Allen told him what his symptoms were, the doctor taking mental note of them. After Allen told him about the cramps, the doctor asked him to lay down. As he did that, Kanda came back with Komui in tow. Allen shot Kanda a look of annoyance and the swordsman shot it right back. "He came himself, I didn't ask him to."

Allen huffed, glaring at the ceiling.

"Why didn't you tell me about this?" Komui asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

"If it makes you feel any better, I didn't tell General Dickhead over here either." Allen said, trying to relax as the doctor came back over.

General Dickhead death glared the boy, giving him a look that said 'you're on thin ice'.

"It doesn't." Komui sighed, gently pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "It could be something serious. Maybe appendicitis."

The doctor then began to examine Allen, looking over his stomach. He noted where the healed wound was. Allen flinched softly when he felt fingers press down on the lower part of his stomach. It was uncomfortable for him, but he kept his mouth shut as the doctor checked both sides of his stomach as well. The doctor had a serious look on his face that made both Allen and Komui uncomfortable.

"What's the matter, Doctor?" Komui asked, just as the doctor retracted his hands.

"There's definitely a mass there, in the lower abdomen."

"What? What kind of mass?" Allen questioned, looking at the doctor like he had three heads.

"Can't tell just by poking around like this." The doctor explained. "Best bet would be to remove it, as soon as possible."

Kanda looked at Allen as the boy's face paled before looking at the doctor. "You're going to perform a surgery?"

"Yes, sir. Best I can do is tomorrow evening." He said, letting Allen sit up. "Go to your room and get some rest. We'll be ready for you tomorrow."

Nodding hesitantly, Allen stood from the bed, standing on legs he wasn't sure wouldn't buckle under him. He and Kanda returned to the room in silence, Kanda shutting the door behind him. As soon as the door clicked, he heard the bathroom door slam, followed by Allen's retching. Kanda sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for him to finish. When he didn't hear anything for a while, he spoke. "Come on, Moyashi. Worse things have happened to you, hell, you've put up with Komui doing those God forsaken repairs to your weapon. You can handle surgery."

He heard movement on the other side of the door as the toilet flushed, followed by the sound of the sink running. After a minute or two, Allen opened the door, a sullen look on his face. "It's not the fact that I have to get it, Kanda. It's why I'm getting it." He said, walking closer. "What if this is because of my Innocence?" He asked. "What if this is a consequence of being a parasite type? What if it's got something to do with Nea? I just… I-" He tapered off, covering his face in his hands as he suddenly was short of breath, letting out a shaky sigh.

"You're reaching for answers, Moyashi." Kanda said, standing up. "You're worrying yourself sick right now. Don't rush to conclusions until the doctor can figure out what's wrong and tell you." He said, pulling the younger man into his arms carefully. "Come on. You're so much more stubborn than this."

For once, Allen didn't have a smart comeback. He just buried his face in the crook of Kanda's neck, letting the older man hold him. Kanda sighed, kissing the side of his head softly. "You're going to be okay. I'm sure."

"You'll be with me, right? You're not going to leave me alone?" Allen almost whispered. Kanda snorted quietly, smirking a bit.

"Of course. I thought that was a given."


So sorry for the delay! It's still Monday for me, but I would have preferred to post this sooner. I hope everyone is doing well and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

DGM belongs to Katsura Hoshino