Cross: Hey, where's CBA? We're about to start.

Allen: Kitchen. Fawning over the cupcake magazine. Sometimes he acts like a girl whenever he is in front of something sweet specially chocolates and strawberries. Is strawberry even sweet?

Cross: He has feminine side, that's why. Even the boys at his school admired him.

Allen: Oh my God! Shounen Ai?

Cross: No. I can't say that. He ignores them because he said they are noisy. He doesn't hangs out with the girls either because they are gossiping behind people's back and he hated it. He hated and loathed crowd.

Allen: But he's attending crowded cosplay convention.

Cross: That's an exception.

CBA: Hey guys! Look! Look! Do you think chocolate parfait is perfect for my dearly beloved's birthday? I never tried it though.

Allen/ Cross: You have a girlfriend?

CBA: Of course! what do think of me? Well, it's a one- sided in my part though.

Allen/ Cross: *nodding* *arms folded* *eyes closed* Hm. Unrequited love.

CBA: What? *obliviously innocent*

Night Four

On the grass lied a man in beige T-shirt and black pants. His long vibrant red hair tied in low ponytail and arms were folded behind his head as he looked up the sky with an annoyed look as if waiting impatiently for the God to appear behind those clouds so that he could complain to him and ask why he was taking care of the brat even though he knew nothing about kids that was why he went to mother's house so that she would take Allen under her care. Cross sighed. Well, it has been a more than a month and the sky was clearer than before; spring will be soon. For the whole duration he was here he has been taking care of Allen and just by thinking about it, he wondered how the hell he did all those things.

A month ago, four days after they arrived at the mother's place Cross found it very irritating whenever he went to feed Allen. Why, you ask? It is simply because Allen smells. He hadn't bath for days.

"Tch. Get up brat you stink!" leaning on the door frame and arms folded across his chest, Cross ordered. On the bed sat Allen who had yet acknowledge the presence of Cross as he kept staring at what was in front of him which seemed like there was nothing in there. "Hey, I'm here idiot. C'mon, you have to take a bath." he said, but Allen was deep in his own world to see and hear Cross.

A tick mark popped out of Cross' forehead. He needed Allen to get clean. He is so filthy! He thought. How can he get the boy out of his cage? It was Sunday and Baba was out of town to grocery and mother was helping the church. They will be back after two or more hours and Cross was getting impatient.

Sighing in frustration, Cross walked up to Allen and held him up in a bridal style. "Ugh! You stink and so filthy!" he said, face contorted in disgust as he made his way out of the room that also smells like Allen's sweat and had a hint of smoke and wine.

Cross dropped Allen not so gentle once they reached the bathroom.

"Strip." Cross said and of course, Allen didn't comply. He remained standing as his gloomy eye fixed on the floor as if he longed for someone. "I guess I have to do it for you." Cross sighed as he rubbed his temple.

First, he took the bandages off followed by Allen's clothes and his undergarment.

Cross had to bear with it for awhile.

It didn't take him long to wash the boy and got him dressed. It was quite easy even though Allen wasn't helping at all. It doesn't matter to him if someone he barely knew stripped and dressed him. He doesn't care at all. He just wanted to disappear right then.

The next moment, Cross found Allen poop on his bed. God must this brat mocking me!? He grudgingly made his way to Allen, yanked him out of the bed, carried him on his side like a sack, and stormed out of the room to the toilet.

"If you want to use the toilet then say so! Or better yet move your damn ass out of bed to the toilet!" he yelled at Allen while cleaning him. Oh God... He had to wash the covers. Again.

And the next morning...

"You urine the bed this time, huh?" Cross twitched upon seeing the not moving figure in the same position Allen had been the past days.

Now back to where Cross was lying on the grass. It was getting late, so he got up to check on Allen and cook for dinner.

oOo

It was late at night and yet here was Allen, still wide awake. His wound had healed leaving only the peculiar red scar that cut his face vertically starting as an inverted pentacle on his forehead just above his left eyebrow, red line cuts through his eye down his chin like a hook, and a small, thin horizontal line below his eyelid.

Cross stopped mixing wine on Allen's dinner a few days after his wound healed and the nightmares bearably coming occasionally.

This time, Cross accompanied the cursed boy who was on his bed silently curling up while boring holes at the wall with wide eyes. Sometimes Cross wondered what he was thinking while staring ahead without blinking. Doesn't his eyes hurt? He knew he was thinking about his foster father and that fateful night. It really shocked Allen seeing his left arm transformed into a monstrous arm and it seemed like it had his own mind to act on its own accord. Seeing the monster arm of his destroyed the akuma that was his foster father put him on edge and that was what he was now.

If only he didn't left the boy alone maybe this wouldn't happen.

"I'm going and be back later." He said to the mourning boy sitting in front of the gravestone that one winter night.

He knew that giving a person some lone time to mourn his lost would help him release his emotions that welled up inside his chest.

But that was his mistake.

If only he didn't went far enough not to see the boy.

For Allen, he knew the dead must remain dead and shouldn't disturb, but he was disoriented and out of his right mind, desperate to see the only being that was kind and patient enough to love and accept him as what he was. The deceased man had taught him so many things in life. He taught Allen how to read and write, how to do basic math, and about the necessities in life. He taught Allen how take care of himself. He taught Allen to trust people, how to love, and how to smile and laugh through hardships in life. But everything seemed to turn upside down now that Mana died.

Allen forgot everything that Mana had told him.

Allen forgot to walk.

And that was his greatest mistake he ever had.

Turning his father into demon.

And that time, Allen was ready to die there and then.

But he was saved by his cursed arm.

And now he lived his life like hell to atone his sin.

If he couldn't die, how was he going to atone for his sin? The only thing he thought to atone for it is to die so he can pay his debt with his life. For making Mana suffered again, he has to die but… here he was, safe and sound with someone who took him. He was thankful to the man who took him in and he wanted to do everything to repay him even though he was a little harsh at times, but, nevertheless, he was thankful.

"Hey." Cross called, fed up of the silence and tired of seeing the boy in such a fragile state. "Do you really wish to die to atone for your sin?" he asked suddenly.

Yes. Yes, he wanted to die.

Cross wasn't sure if the boy was listening or not, but he continued.

"You're running away. D'you know that? To die won't change anything. To die doesn't mean to atone for you sins but running away from the past you wish to forget. You are simply running away from the reality."

Maybe he was right. But…

"Why don't you face the truth? Why don't you accept the fact? Why don't you stop running away and look at the things around you?"

Stop running away? Was he really running away? He wasn't, right? He just wanted to end his life after what he had done to his beloved father, moreover, there wasn't any reason for him to live, was there?

"There is only one way to atone for your sin." Cross paused.

Allen's ears perked up with interest. Really? What is it? He wanted to know so badly.

"… and that is certainly NOT death."

Not death? But- but it's the only way! I killed Mana after all and I'm obliged to pay it with my life!

"Why don't you… LIVE to atone?"

Live…to atone? I don't understand! How is living be an atonement? I'm better off dead.

"If you choose death, then you are only running away from pain of the past. So live with pain in the living hell that is this world. How does that sound to you? Face the truth of reality, kid. Remember what Mana said?"

At this, Allen flinched; hearing the name of the man he loved the most.

Don't stop. Keep walking.

CBA: Happy New Year Everyone~! It smells like shit in here. I hate the smell of bombs everywhere.

Allen: He's talking about the explosives like fireworks

CBA: Yeah, yeah, whatever you call them. Thank you for reading~! I'm looking forward for feedbacks and thanks for the reviews.

See you!

#CBA