Disclaimer: If I owned D Gray Man, Allen would be in love with Tyki, Lavi and Kanda and he would be having sex with them every day. So it's best that I don't own it, don't you think?

Summary: We all know Allen Walker is a powerful Exorcist, but what if on that fateful night when he first encountered the Earl, when Mana died, when his Innocence first activated and destroyed his adoptive father before being 'found' by Cross. What if he was found by a Noah? How would he have changed? And so the adventure begins, from another perspective. Warnings: Lemons and some inappropriate things done to a minor

Pairings: Tyki/Allen aka Poker Pair

Warnings: Yaoi, lemons and indecent thoughts and actions towards a minor. If you don't like yaoi then why are you reading this? Also, there will be battle violence and swearing. Constructive criticism is allowed, flamers will be locked up with their flames and roasted alive.

A/N: I just found out that the picture I used for the cover of this story so happens to be the cover Hoshino-sensei drew for her novel series D Gray-Man: Reverse. Isn't that funny~?

I've been suffering from food poisoning the past few days and it's set my writing back by three days but it's finally done~! Big thanks to everyone who reviewed, to VKLOREO23, thank you for your support, I hope you enjoy the story and while I won't push, I hope my story may bring you closer to loving Yaoi as much as I do~ To Other Personalities, yes, Allen was indeed very beautiful when he was younger. I suppose it's because Hoshino-sensei originally wanted to make Allen a girl but I'm glad she didn't. This Allen is much better~!

My eternal love and gratitude to ~Happycafegirl11. I was so happy to see a comment on my own fan art, now I don't have to cry every time I see the nice round zero beside comments. I'm glad you like my stories and hope you enjoy this chapter as well. And now, drum roll~!

Love cannot endure indifference. It needs to be wanted.

Like a lamp, it needs to be fed out of the oil of another's heart,

or its flame burns low.

~Henry Ward Beecher

Allen sighed as he glanced about. It was July and it had been a few months since he had joined Tyki's group of vagrants and he had quickly realized that his eating habits were becoming a problem for their finances. So while Tyki, Clark and Momo worked at the mines, he was roaming the streets, searching for people to pickpocket.

He needed to help to bring in money but he wasn't sure of how to do so, so he was using the skills that he had picked up before Mana adopted him. He had already amassed about 50 Guinea over the pass few hours but it wasn't nearly enough to help their finances and he was getting hungry.

The white haired 11 year old began to walk towards a small pub when a shout came from behind him. Glancing back, he saw a fat man he had pick-pocketed earlier shouting something and pointing at him.

Uh oh...Allen mentally cursed as he started to run, looking for an escape when a red haired boy with an eye-patch and an orange scarf rushed past him, grabbing his arm and dragging him into a nearby alley. The two boys breathed quietly as the man and a few officers rushed pass their hiding spot. Allen sighed in relief and turned to the taller boy with a smile.

"Thanks, you really saved me back there~!" Allen beamed happily as he shook the other boy's hand enthusiastically. The redhead blushed, scratching his cheek shyly as he replied.

"It's fine, a pretty girl like you would be in trouble if the Yard caught you pick-pocketing~"

Allen felt a tick form over his left eye and he glared at the boy. Really, why did everyone keep thinking he was a girl!? "I'm a boy."

"EH!?" The other boy yelped in surprise, sticking his arm forward and pressing it against a very private spot. "Wah! You're really a boy!"

Allen was frozen for a split second before he realized where the older boy was touching and shrieked, "What the hell!? You pervert!" The redhead blinked a few times when Allen abruptly jumped back. His hand hovered over the now empty spot for a moment before he scratched the back of his head sheepishly while apologizing.

"Ah, sorry, my bad. I mistook you for a girl cause of your long hair and pretty face. I'm Deak, 14 years old. What's your name~?" The taller boy explained apologetically and Allen felt a small burst of irritation at the way he simply moved on despite having just molested the smaller boy.

"Allen. My name's Allen, I'm 11." The white haired boy mumbled, standing in a rather defensive position because this guy was clearly not right in the head. Who on Earth checks if someone is a girl or boy by grabbing them down there!?

"Nice to meet you Allen, I'm really sorry about just now. I'm not a pervert, I was just really surprised. Your hair is really long and pretty like a girl's." Deak explained in a beseeching manner. Allen felt his anger dissipate at the large puppy-eyes the other was giving him and nodded with a sigh.

He really couldn't blame Deak, he had been mistaken for a girl even more often now than before because of his longer hair. Shortly after he joined the group, Tyki had told him that he enjoyed running his fingers through the silky strands and ever since then, Allen had been growing out his hair.

The white locks were almost past his shoulders now and Tyki had taken to combing his hair almost every night, proclaiming that the soft strands must have been spun by the Gods. A sentiment that the others seemed to share because Clark and Eeez would occasionally pick a flower to place in his hair and Momo had bought him some rather costly hair products with his year end bonus.

"So, why did you need to steal from that fat guy~?" Deak asked curiously as he leaned against the wall. Allen considered the taller boy for a moment before replying.

"I eat quite a lot and the guys taking care of me are having money problems so I wanted to help out. It's not nearly enough though..." The small boy explained in a dejected tone. Deak hummed in thought before blinking in surprise at the item poking out of Allen's pocket.

"Are those poker cards?" Deak asked, gesturing to the deck of cards in Allen's pocket. The boy nodded, wondering what that had to do with anything. He knew that Tyki and the others occasionally cheated other people out of clothing and he had watched them do so but they never really got much money out of their winnings. "I have an idea! Come on~!"

Allen yelped and Deak grinned, grabbing his hand and pulling him into a nearby pub. The smaller boy watched as Deak challenged a rather burly man to a game of poker and began to bet using the 50 Guinea that Allen had stolen. However, it was soon apparent that the redhead had no real world experience in poker and Allen was starting to get irritated as his pile dwindled till there was about 20 Guinea left.

Deak turned to Allen with an apologetic expression as he finally decided that he shouldn't try anymore, "Sorry Allen, normally when I play with the panda, I always win. Guess I'm just out of luck today..."

Allen shook his head with a reassuring smile. He had no doubt that Deak was usually lucky but in real world poker that wasn't friendly and luck didn't actually matter. He didn't blame the redhead for trying to help. Why?

Because he knew that the other man was cheating.

The 11 year old steeled himself and took Deak's seat, ignoring the older boy's protests as he challenged the man to another round.

"Wait, Allen! Aren't you a little young to play!?" Deak exclaimed, trying to stop the pretty white haired boy from betting the rest of his money. The boy ignored him as he began to deal out the cards.

Half an hour later, Allen was smirking evilly as the burly man groaned at his third consecutive loss. The small pile of Guinea had grown and Allen was now the proud owner of 80 Guinea. Deak eyed the stack of coins with wide awe filled eyes.

"Amazing, Allen! Who'd have thought you were so lucky~?" Deak quietly exclaimed into the smaller boy's ear. Allen smiled happily as he collected another 20 coins and added them to his collection.

"It's because I'm cheating~" He whispered back, causing Deak to nearly fall out of his chair in shock.

"Really!? I didn't think you were that type…" The boy muttered disbelievingly as he finally noticed Allen slip a few cards into his sleave while shuffling the deck. The white haired child shot Deak an innocent smile.

"He cheated you first so I'm only paying him back in kind." Allen explained as he produced another royal flush, driving the burly man up the wall. This way, I can earn more money with the cheating skills I learnt from Tyki, Clark and Momo!

~Poker Pair~

"I'm really impressed, Allen~! 400 Guinea in three hours, that must be a record! Who knew there were so many different people willing to spend so much to go up against the pretty white haired kid on a winning streak~?" Deak grinned widely as he finished counting the money for Allen. The younger boy smiled happily as he took the jingling bag of coins from his new friend.

"All thanks to you, Deak~! If you hadn't given me the idea, I never would have even thought of using Poker to help Tyki with our money problems, I didn't realise that you could make so much money by cheating when gambling~!" Allen beamed at the older boy, making Deak blush at its brilliance. The two boys sat together on a half wall by the street, enjoying the silent companionship before Deak took on a pensive expression.

"Hey, Allen…"

"Hmm?"

"You and your friends should leave this town."

Allen blinked at the sudden seriousness wafting off the redhead. He tilted his head to the side in question, "Why?"

Deak grimaced as he placed a hand on the shorter boy's shoulder, "A small war's gonna break out between this town and the one to the east. You should get out before you get caught in the crossfire."

Allen's eyes widened and he nodded while standing, wanting to get back to Clark and Momo quickly. He and Tyki probably wouldn't be very affected by a small civil war but the others were human and humans were fragile. This was something he learnt from watching Tyki discretely save his friends' lives from the occasional accident in the mines.

"What about you, Deak? Are you going to leave too?" Allen asked worriedly, knowing that he shouldn't get attached to humans but already taking a liking to the fun loving boy. Deak was what he always imagined an older brother would be like and he didn't really want the other to get hurt.

"You can come with us, I'm sure the others won't mind." Deak blinked in surprise at the offer, feeling his chest tighten at the concern in the child's voice.

"Nah, I got stuff to do." The redhead shook his head with a tense smile, noting the increasingly worried look on the smaller boy's fair features, he added, "I'll be fine. I can take care of myself, I'm a big boy see~?" Deak grinned as he ran a gentle hand through Allen's soft white locks, rubbing the strands together and admiring the silky texture.

"You really have nice hair, take care of it, and yourself, kay~?" Allen nodded, not really knowing what to say as the redhead turned to leave, his orange scarf billowing in the wind as he walked.

"Will I see you again?!" Allen called out in a slightly agitated voice, watching as Deak paused. The older boy turned to him with a bittersweet smile.

"Probably not, but I'll never forget you, Allen. If we meet again, introduce me to your friends, bye~!" Deak waved as he left, feeling a sharp pain in his chest. It was better this way. A soul like that may never be remembered in the history logs, even with that curse mark. Yet that was probably a good thing. Those whose lives were worthy of record were never peaceful or happy. The most fortunate, were perhaps those whose memory simply…faded with time.

~Poker Pair~

A loud shout, a louder bang and even louder cheers rang through the pub as a young white haired teenager revealed his hand. Royal straight flush. The beautiful boy grinned victoriously as he combed a hand through his long white hair that flowed and shimmered in the light, drawing admiring gazes to the silky strands that brushed across his hips and accenting the strong yet slender build of the teen.

"Too bad, my good sirs. It seems that the fates favour me again tonight, I'll be taking my 600 Guinea now~" Allen smirked as he quickly and efficiently swept the pile of coins into a large drawstring pouch. The crowd of spectators around the table had made cheating slightly harder than usual but he wasn't the Poker Prince for no reason.

It had been three years since he met Deak and he had been perfecting his cheating skills over the years. Tyki and the others had been really upset when he returned to their temporary home that night, scolding him for being out for so long without telling at least one of them.

Despite being sorry about worrying them, he had been inexplicably pleased when Tyki had hugged him later that night, muttering about how worried the man was and how the Noah had entertained thoughts that he could have been captured by the Dark Order and taken away to be experimented on.

The group had been surprised when he told them that he had found a way to earn money for them and told them all about his adventures. They had fortunately taken him seriously when he told them about the upcoming civil war and the five of them had been five towns away when news of the dispute reached their ears.

Allen smiled politely as the barmaid placed three large plates before him, congratulating him on yet another successful night. Ever since he took up cheating at gambling as his job, he'd been spending his days at pubs while Tyki and the others worked at the mines.

Tyki and his friends hadn't wanted him to work at the mines, saying it was too dangerous and he had wanted to slap his guardian. The man knew that he wouldn't die from a simple explosion or cave in, and the gasses had no effect on him since he had Noah blood. They had been alone when he mentioned that to Tyki and the Noah had simply smiled fondly and said that he didn't want Allen's hair to get dirty in the mines.

Knowing how much Tyki liked his hair, he had given in and was now well known among England's most popular pubs as the Poker Prince. His white hair and pentagon scar were his trade mark and sometimes people would travel to whatever town he was in simply to challenge him for the title or try to catch him at cheating.

Here, the magician tricks and slight of hand he had picked up in the circus and on the streets truly came into play. Allen had never been caught at cheating and Tyki could never figure out how he did it, when the Noah himself couldn't cheat so smoothly even with his Choose.

Allen sighed in satisfaction as he cleaned up the three plates, beaming at the barmaid as she brought more food from the kitchens. The pub owners loved him and he was welcomed at every bar he went to. The amount he spent eating was always enough to keep each pub going for weeks and the crowds he drew always brought better business for the pubs.

Still, he couldn't wait till the next time the Earl summoned the family together to have dinner again. He kind of missed the delicious food and the Jasdevi twins, not to mention, he wanted to bring healing to the Akuma that served the Earl.

"Hey, pretty girl~!" A rather tall man wearing a large hat, a white half-mask and glasses sat down beside him. Long red hair brushed against Allen and the smell of strong alcohol burned his nose as the man placed his arm around the shocked teen.

"How bout a night with the great General Cross, hmm~?" The man grinned charmingly as he leaned close to the 14 year old. "What say you, My Lady~?"

Allen squeaked in fright, feeling extremely horrified that he was being hit on by a guy. Seriously, he was not only a boy, he was underage too! "Oi! I'm 14!"

"Heh~? 14 is already a fine young lady, no~?" The man replied, caressing Allen's waist length hair in a way that made his skin crawl. He was about to protest since the man clearly hadn't noticed that his was a boy's voice (though it was probably because his voice hadn't broken yet) when the large lady owner of the pub appeared beside them.

"Hey! Yer typa ruffian aint welcome ere! Go arass a lass if ya want it so bad!" The lady growled, grabbing the red haired man by his lapel and bodily tossing him out the door.

"Sorry bout that Allen. 's that 'air o yours, too pretty fer a young lad like yerself, gonna get in trouble wit those kind ya know." The lady boss warned as she cleared the plates and left. Allen sat still for a moment before finishing his meal and paying. Within moments, he was walking back to the inn where they'd been staying the past few days.

That hadn't been the first time he was hit on and he really doubted it would be the last. Allen sighed as he glanced at his reflection in the glass of a closed shop. He really did look like a girl. The teen frowned.

What about Tyki…does Tyki also think of me as a girl? Allen shook his head but the thought persisted. Now that he was older, he had noticed the looks the older man sometimes gave him, looks that reminded him of the way a cat looked at a mouse or the way Allen himself looked at food.

Plus, Tyki liked his hair. Even more so when it when it got longer. What if his hair made Tyki think of him as a girl?

He really didn't like the idea of that. If Tyki thought of him like a girl than the man might see him in the way those nasty men in the pubs saw the pretty barmaids or the scantily clad whores who roamed the streets at night. He didn't want to be seen as a pretty object to be kept around for fun and thrown away when boredom set in.

He had a feeling that he was being illogical and stupid but the idea wouldn't leave his head. He wanted to mean more to Tyki than that. He didn't want to be thrown away. He wanted to be something to Tyki but he couldn't figure out what it was. He wanted Tyki to look at him like those gentlemen looked at their wives but he didn't want to be seen as weak.

He doesn't see you as weak. He cares for you.

Allen didn't reply, pausing when he spotted a few pieces of shattered glass in an alley where the window had blown outwards. The white haired boy walked towards it like a boy possessed and bent down.

Be careful Allen, better be sure that about what you're about to do. You may not be ready for the events that doing this might trigger.

"This is also for me. I need this." Allen muttered determinedly as he easily grasped the largest shard carefully in his hand and brought it to his long locks. He felt Nea relent and quickly moved the sharp glass in a sawing motion.

Schh schh schh

Allen watched passively as his long hair fluttered to the ground, leaving his remaining hair to flutter softly around his ears. There. Now people wouldn't see him as a girl anymore and somehow, he didn't feel like one anymore either.

Allen sighed as he dropped the shard. That was surprisingly cathartic. The boy felt Nea nod in his mind as he quickly left the alley and returned to the inn, expecting the outburst that followed when Eeez and the others saw the state of his hair.

Tyki had stayed silent, only telling the others that it was fine and not to bother Allen about his decision. It was later that night when the two quietly sat on the roof of the building that Tyki questioned his sudden need for a haircut. Allen was silent for a while, sorting through his thoughts before he spoke.

"I've always been told that I'm a pretty boy. Almost everyone I meet thinks I'm a girl when they first see me. I thought I was fine with it but I don't want to be thought of as a girl. I don't want to feel like a girl, protected and sheltered. I'm not weak, Tyki and I'm not something to be kept!" Allen's voice had been soft at the beginning but Tyki watched with wide eyes as the boy slammed his fist on the tiles of the roof, making three break off and slide to the floor with a crack.

Allen turned to his guardian with fire in his eyes, knowing that he was being irrational and that Tyki was not to blame but needing an outlet for his pent up worries and frustrations. The Noah's eyes softened at the sight of his struggling ward.

Allen had been through a lot and he knew that the boy was confused about many things. He was probably worried that the Noah only kept him around and took care of him because he saw him as a pretty collectable. Tyki sighed as he leaned back against the uneven tiles.

"There's nothing wrong with being pretty, Shonen. It's certainly not that common for boys to be beautiful but it's not a bad thing. Momo and Clark certainly don't see you as weak and Eeez practically worships the ground you walk on. None of us see you as a girl." The Noah reassured, lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag as he ruffled the short strands on Allen's head.

"And you, Tyki? What do you think of me?" Allen asked with wide fearful eyes, unsure himself of what he wanted the Noah to say. Tyki grimaced. He had promised to never lie to the boy and now he feared that it was coming back to bite him in the ass.

After a moment, the Noah sighed and answered honestly. "I don't think of you as a girl. I think you're the most beautiful and intelligent and kind and strong boy I've ever seen. Even now, with your short and boyish hair, I think I might be turning into a homosexual paedophile."

Allen's face turned red at the man's words, feeling the sudden urge to scoot as far away as possible but resisting because he trusted Tyki.

"I'm not though. I'm a Noah, and that means that I'm gonna be 26 till the day I die. You're already going 15 next month. I can wait a few years before I try to court you. Until then, I'm just your caring guardian who loves you more than a father could."

Allen watched silently as Tyki stood and returned to the room, contemplating the man's words till the sun began to rise. As the gentle shades of Painters Grey began to splash across the sky, he realised that the fluttering feeling in his stomach could only be happiness. His heart skipped a beat, knowing that he was glad that Tyki didn't think of him as a girl and that the Noah had feelings for him regardless.

The white haired child stood, his short hair blowing in the wind as he stared challengingly at the rising sun. He wasn't sure if he was ready yet and he didn't know if he liked guys or just liked Tyki, but even so, he would become someone worthy of standing by Tyki's side whether as family or as a lover. He felt Nea's approval at his thoughts and set his teeth in determination.

He would become strong, not like a girl who needed to be protected but a man who could work with Tyki to fulfil the Earl's plans. He would make Tyki proud, he would show everyone how strong he was and how worthy he was of the Noah of Pleasure's attention…

and damn it, he couldn't wait.

A/N: I hope this chapter hasn't been confusing. Basically, Allen meets Lavi, called Deak at the time, and is introduced to poker as a good form of money making. Over three years, he is famous, not for clearing Cross's debts but for being the poker master, The Poker Prince. Allen hasn't seen Lavi since and We all know that Lavi has recently joined the order. It seems small now but their meeting will be important for the future.

At 14, Allen meets Cross at one of the pubs. The guy basically traumatizes him because while Allen has been hit on before, most of them respect him enough not to do so in such a crass manner, since he is the famous Poker Prince. Lol, Cross traumatizes Allen no matter what world they're in. XD

The encounter stirs up old insecurities and Allen decides that cutting his hair would solve them. I always felt that most of the beautiful boys I've met are rather gentle and I've also realised that they're like that because they are pretty and everyone expects them to be gentleish like a girl.

I can't imagine what that must be like but I'm sure that being constantly mistaken for a girl or treated like a girl would have some rather disastrous effects on a guy's self image. Allen is basically feeling like he is actually a girl and that if he cuts his hair he'll feel more like a boy. Which he does. He also looks more like the version of Allen that travelled with Cross now. Just imagine the long haired Allen with rounder cheeks, bigger eyes and shorter and you'll have how he looked like. Wow, looks like a little girl, no~?

Also, in regards to the way he thinks of girls, it's not that he's bias or anything, it's just that at that time period, girls were seen as the weaker sex and generally did stuff like becoming trophy wives and taking care of kids.

Allen just doesn't want to be seen as a trophy or prize, which is a rather understandable worry since Tyki picked him up because he was an interesting Innocence host. He was alright with it back then because he was just happy to be taken care of by people who cared (in a sense) about him. However, as he grows up, his feelings change and grow with him and now it's no longer enough.

It might not have been very clear, but he was basically asking Tyki if the Noah cared for him for more than his powers or beauty. After 4 years of raising Allen, Tyki knows him really well, so he understands what Allen is asking and tells him honestly that he doesn't see Allen as a beautiful weapon but as a person who he really cares for. And not in the paternal sense as Allen was probably expecting.

At this point, Allen himself isn't sure if he likes Tyki in the way a lover does, he just loves him unconditionally. It's a very pure love, though we all know that that's going to change soon. Either way, Allen knows that he wants to be at Tyki's side always and he wants to help his family. It think that's it, please review if you have any questions.

Next chapter: Allen's 15 now and the story is finally easing into the cannon events that Hoshino-sensei depicted. How will it work out~? Review and follow to find out!