Neallen Summer

Fandom: D Gray Man.

Characters: Allen (Past&Current), Nea.

Pairing: Nea/Allen.

Summary: The warmth of the love between two souls of black and white, shared as summer tales. Or, collection of Neallen one-shots for Neallen Summer 2020!

Read on AO3!

Here we are, it’s the end of Neallen week and with it, the 7th part of my little story!

I ended up deciding to write an epilogue part, who was initially meant to also be part of today’s part (ah!). I wanted to keep the suspense however, let today’s part be enjoyed as it is before giving the next.

I will either post this epilogue part later today, or tomorrow. Until then, enjoy~!

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Reincarnation//Eternity

Nea had barely opened his eyes in their mindscape that a body jumped him, arms wrapping around his chest and a face pressed into his neck. His arms snaked around the familiar body by instinct, golden eyes flickering down, his heart squeezing at the trembling of Allen’s form and the tears he felt against his skin.

He placed a gentle kiss at Allen’s temple, whispering a soft apology, and Allen shook his head.

“You-” His voice came muffled, broken; and he swallowed before managing at in more controlled tone, if still shaky, “It makes sense now. So much sense. You’ve always looked for the option that hurt me less, but all hurt me.”

Nea’s arms tightened around Allen’s body, he nuzzled those soft, white hairs and placed a kiss at the top of his head. “In this war, you are the one who hurt the most. You care for everyone.” A smile curled his lips. “But that’s exactly why I…”

Allen leaned back, not caring for his red eyes and the silent tears still falling. His gaze was soft, fragile, hopeful. “You..?”

One hand came to brush knuckles against Allen’s cheek. “Who you were and who you are now, you’re different yet the same.” Nea leaned closer, nose brushing together. “I loved you then and I… I love you now. I know you barely started to know m-”

Allen cut Nea off by pressing their lips together, a lingering, chaste kiss. Warmth flooded his chest, at the back of his mind he felt relief and soothing from Crown Clown, his precious, loyal Innocence who wanted to see him happy more than anything.

So that’s why you never harmed Nea… You have always known his care for me rivalled yours.

Gentle hands rubbed down his back, lips moved with tenderness, Nea’s body shivered against his, and Allen let out a soft little please noise. A growl came from Nea, sending a shiver down Allen’s own body, finding himself pressing closer.

The kiss turned less innocent, lips parting, a tongue teased his own, hands settled one in his hairs and one at the small of his back. The breeze of the mindscape caressed them both, made their senses sharper, a soft gasp passed his lips as he felt the little bite at his lower lip before they parted.

Nea rested his forehead against Allen’s, both breathing deeply with eyes closed for a few moments.

When their gazes met, Nea looked equally fond and sad. Allen returned it with warmth and trust.

“Nea… You still need my body, don’t you?” He saw the slight twitch of Nea’s lips, and his cheeks flushed. “Nea.”

The Noah chuckled, shifted to kiss Allen’s cheek. “The original plan was for me to be revived and end the war. When I realized you had Innocence now, I thought…” He didn’t finish, but he hugged Allen closer, pressing their forehead together again and nuzzling their nose together. “But…” He let out a breath of laughter. “Only you would form such a loving bond with your Innocence that it will accept anything as long as you can be happy.”

Allen’s cheeks flushed, and a soft gasp left his lips as fluffy warmth cocooned them both in white. He watched with wide eyes how the touch of Crown Clown seemed to relax Nea rather than hurt, heart thumping harder with something bright and fond at the purring-like sounding coming from his Innocence. “Crown Clown?” He called out, hopeful, more hopeful than he has ever felt, voice shaky and lips trembling from the force of his hope.

A coo came from his Innocence, and Nea gave him the most gentle of smile, the same fragile hope in his golden eyes. “For you, Allen, we would do anything. And since the awakening has started, what we can do is protect you, exchange our place.” He paused, shoulders slumping. “That’s the best we can offer. For you to be dormant like I was, until we can exchange place again.”

Allen chuckled, and kissed the corner of Nea’s mouth. “Promise me neither of you will sacrifice yourself for this. I don’t want to return if it is by one of you being gone.”

Nea let out a laugh, kissing Allen’s forehead. “I think… we can do that. Don’t you think, little Crown?”

For reply, feathers fluffed out and tapped at Nea, making both of them laugh as they both sensed the fluster behind the nickname. But it was all the reply they needed.

Allen smiled softly at Nea, feeling the arms tighten around him, enjoying the nuzzles against his cheek as Nea stalled. He placed his lips at Nea’s temple. “It will be okay, Nea.”

Nea breathed out a laugh. “Shouldn’t I be the one to reassure you?”

“You reassure me by being who you are.” Allen found himself saying without control.

Nea leaned back, wide eyes staring at Allen, who blushed more and more. A grin formed on the Noah’s face, and he pressed a kiss to Allen’s lips again, low rumbles of contentment in his throat.

In the end, they shared kisses after kisses, comforting warmth around them, until they found themselves simply looking into each other eyes, forehead against each other.

And in a soft humming, the Musician’s song echoed between them, Allen’s quiet voice singing, until he was singing anymore and only Nea’s humming with his silent tears remained.

A mask nuzzled his cheek. Nea opened his eyes, letting his humming die down, and offering a weak little smile. He released his hold over Allen’s sleeping frame, allowing Crown Clown to gather him in its hold.

“Thank you, little Crown. I promise… I’ll make sure he’ll wake to a world he can be happy in.”

Crown Clown bumped its mask with Nea’s forehead, and a voice like crystal echoed in his mind. He will be happy in any world you live in, Nea Campbell. Don’t you dare forget that.

6th day, 6th part, and it’s a little short (well all parts have been on the short side), but tomorrow’s part should be a little longer~! I’ll try to make it so, at least!

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Silence//Music

Wind breezed into his hairs, a gentle touch that grounded him as much as the bark against his back. The mindscape of wheat field and manor in the distance had always felt a little nice, familiar, nostalgic; and right now, it felt like the safest place in the world. There was no sounds except the breeze through the field, no sensations except the grass under his palms, and like this, Allen could pretend nothing was wrong.

It worried Nea immensely, no matter how he had expected how broken the truth would make Allen. He had wished to avoid the pain, he had wished he would be able to prepare him. And with the need to get their body to safety, Nea could not join Allen in their mindscape.

No matter how many times he sent gentle worry and comforting compassion as sensations, only silence replied to him.

But he knew Allen felt it, he knew Allen was not gone, that the space Nea created in their mind was now Allen’s protective cocoon, and that was more than Nea could have hoped for.

Still, when hours passed, with no change, with the heart stopping agony of sensing Allen falling asleep, no desire to wake up, Nea knew he had to do something.

For all he had been said to be fated to erase Allen, for all even Cross had believed it, that was not Nea’s goal nor intent. Not as long as he could prevent it.

Mana wasn’t the only one he wished to save.

And so, softly at first, Nea hummed that one tune, let it sound in their mind, the one song that they had created together, that meant so much to them.

The sound of the piano’s notes echoed in their mind, in their heart, the Ark reacting to its first master, reaching out for its second master.

The sweetest sound in the world finally filtered to Nea’s ears.

Allen’s soft voice floated in their mind, rose as he sang the lyrics of their song.

The walls between their mind fell, neither of them willing to remain distant anymore.

Nea opened the door to the Musician’s room, who welcomed him with happiness, and he laid down on the couch.

The Musician’s song echoing in their mind, in the room itself, the piano still playing on its own, Nea closed his eyes.

Fandom: D.Gray-man

Prompts: Silence; Music

Relationship: Nea D. Campbell/Allen Walker

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Word Count: 3,195

Tags: M/M; Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons; Grim Reapers; Nephilim; Music; Fate & Destiny; Neallen Week 2019

Excerpt: 

Taking the soul of a dying human should be a simple task for a reaper. In theory, it should be a quick and easy mission, with little to no complications. Unfortunately, when predicting the outcome of a series of events he was meant to set into action, Allen had forgotten to take some important details into account.

Here we have the 5th part of my Neallen week’s story, with the feels~ But hey, with the prompts of today, it was hard not to have feels.

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Loss//Doubt

It felt as if the ground had vanished from under his feet, as if the world stopped all sounds, ears buzzing. It felt as if his breath and his heart stopped, as if he was experiencing the worst day of his life again.

Because any happiness he could have felt at the sight of the man standing there washed away under the understanding he didn’t want to get at the sight of grey skin, golden eyes and a row of stigmata.

If this man… If he was…

And he didn’t want to understand more, but in his mind, the way he spoke the single word, the longing when he called the Fourteenth…

He heard it before, didn’t he?

Only the Millennium Earl sounded so hopeful and yet full of grief, calling for Nea.

Of course, Allen thought with a hollow, breathless laugh. Of course the one who would want Nea so much is Mana.

Everything he thought he knew, every goals he thought he had, they were breaking like glass; he had vowed to fight for Mana, to save souls for Mana, and he had vowed to end the Earl.

What was he supposed to do, if the man he loved most and the man he hated most where one and the same?

A laugh broke past his lips, then another, barely noticing Nea’s worried, pained look.

Have I ever hated the Earl though? Isn’t it me that I always hated, the one who so easily got fooled?

What did I even do to Mana, was it even Mana back then?

Or was it even the Earl?

Allen did not even realize the maddened laughters were his own. The sensation of frightened warmth from his left arm barely registered. The growing pressure in the air vaguely processed.

There were mad growls, but they weren’t his own.

Mana, oh beloved Mana, your mind is worst than it used to be, isn’t it? Do I have fault in this?

Yet, all he found himself able to focus on was the resigned yet steely gaze of the Noah that still faced him, despite having grown see-through again.

A hand touched his cheek with tenderness, golden eyes gentle with guilt and something softer, warmer.

I’ll get us out of here. Will you let me, Allen?

Allen just closed his eyes, exhausted, numb, and still….

Still able to put trust in his Noah.

In this breaking world of his, wasn’t Nea the unbreakable one?

I hoped you never had to know, he had said.

And it changed everything about this Noah who he had not known what to think, to feel.

Nea had always been the one to look out for him, in the end, hadn’t he?

Here is part four for day four of Neallen week! The Neallen getting more obvious, and you’ll slay me for the interruption I think. Especially as it warns of feels incoming. Enjoy~~

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Medication//Poison

When the first wave of heat came, Allen felt no real surprise. Nea stopped mid-speech, wincing, golden eyes shooting with concern to his host. Allen met those eyes, smiling but knowing it was strained.

“Any chance you can lessen it?”

Nea looked away, jaws set tighter, shaking his head. Not me, I am the Noah within you after all.

Allen sighed, offering a softer smile, feeling another kind of warmth, seeing once more the signs that Nea didn’t enjoy his suffering.

But he never expected the quiet, you can ask Crown Clown, though.

Allen stopped walking, staring at the phantom Nea by his side, who refused to meet his gaze. “Won’t it hurt you? Don’t you-” He swallowed. “I’m only slowing it down, aren’t I?”

A wry smile formed, and Nea’s expression was too guarded when he looked back at Allen. “If I said I do want you to turn fully, would you believe me?”

Silver searched gold, unsure of how to interpret those words, the look he was given. He stepped closer without thinking about it, but it was Nea who lifted a ghost-like hand, brushing his knuckles over Allen’s cheek.

It left a sensation like a warm breeze, though the warmth evolved into heat that went down his body. Nea let his hand hover close to Allen’s face, who saw from the corner of his eyes that it clenched into a fist.

Nea made no attempt to hide the frown that formed, the downward pull of his lips, as he lowered his hand.

Allen’s eyes turned soft, gentle. He ignored the headache that started and steadily grew. “You… are as trapped as I am, aren’t you?”

Nea gave a smile full of bitterness. “I was never meant to have an unwilling host.” His gaze slid downward, shoulders dropping a bit. “I would hate the Innocence that attached to you, but it’s just like you.” His gaze returned to meet Allen’s eyes as he finished, voice low and silky, “Too damn lovable.”

Allen’s breath caught. Nea’s hands twitched, and Allen chose not to think, he reached out and took hold of one of the phantom hand with his left one. The sensation of a cool breeze washed over his body, and judging by Nea’s own shiver, he too felt such a thing. Sparks of heat came and went, the headache pulsing still but tolerable.

Nea’s form looked a little less like a ghost, felt a little more real, and Allen’s eyes flickered to the Noah’s lips then back up. His heart thumped harder when he met the half lidded gaze of Nea.

He did not know who stepped closer, maybe both of them, but their noses touched, Nea’s lips pulled into a sly smile. Allen narrowed his eyes, letting his lips curl into a tiny smirk.

“Fourteenth..?”

They almost jumped apart. Their body stiffened, flinching faintly.

Except… Both of them recognized the voice.

Nea’s eyes begged, pleaded, apologized. Don’t look. I’m sorry.

Allen, for a few beat, stood frozen, staring back into those golden eyes. Then, with fingers tightening their hold, he turned his head slightly, letting his eyes find the source of the voice that he had not heard in years.

Nea closed his eyes, and let his head rest against Allen’s shoulder, lips moving without sounds, for his words were already echoing in their shared mind.

Third day, third part~ And finally a little bit of Neallen interactions!

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Symbolism//Bonds

When silver eyes opened, his gaze flickered around the inn’s room with remain of sleep getting a yawn out of him, one hand lifting to rub one of his eyes. A soft chuckle sounded just as Allen processed the sight he had caught.

He froze, hand hovering, blinking in a slow manner at the rather ghost like Noah sitting at the little table. A smirk pulled the corner of his lips up, eyes half lidded as they gazed at Allen, but there was warmth in those eyes.

In Nea’s hand, a single poppy was held between two fingers, brought to the Noah’s nose as if he was taking its scent.

Allen dropped his hand, shifted to sit up, staring at Nea. Timcanpy wiggled out of the covers to get on his laps, a confused sound leaving the golem, betraying that for all the Noah was not an echo of memories, he was still something for Allen’s eyes only.

His gaze flickered briefly to the window, and he felt no real surprise as the lack of shadow. However, when his eyes returned on the table, his heart skipped a beat as he found no one. For a brief second, he felt… sad.

Then he felt a phantom weight lean against his side, an arm around his back, a hand resting beside his hip, a head resting at his shoulder, and another hand laying on his laps. Timcanpy made a startled sound, but did not move, and neither did Allen.

Don’t be afraid, Allen, a faint voice whispered in his ear, body shivering at the sensation of a warm breath he knew not to be real, or not in the same way that Timcanpy’s weight was, at least. You and I are tied, we always have been. Allen felt the curl of those lips against his ear, making him shiver once more, heart hammering in his chest. And you’ve started to accept this bond.

Allen did not know when he placed his hand in his laps, but his gaze was startled down as he felt the solid flower shape under his fingers. A poppy laid there, very real under his fingers, while there was no hand anymore. He realized there was no weight either, and he turned his head, conflicted as he did not see Nea.

He heard the chuckle that was growing familiar very fast, and he snapped his gaze toward the window. In the reflection, Nea stood there, sitting at the edge of his bed, not a shadow anymore. Aww, you don’t want to see me gone now?

Before Allen could think, he heard himself say, “No, I don’t,” like a fact, like a truth. Then because he could, “You’re mine right? My Noah.”

Nea visibly startled, golden eyes widening, then he laughed, a sound that made something warm bloom in Allen’s chest. Oh my! I need to step up my game, if you can tease me back so easily~

Allen’s lips pulled up briefly. “Who said I’m teasing?”

That earned a squint from Nea, and a snort from Timcanpy. Allen only smiled brightly, declaring he was hungry, and ignoring Nea’s calls of little host what did you mean? Allen!

He couldn’t stop the faint smirk as he heard Nea whine loudly, though.