Here we are, last chapter! Sorry it took so long. I hope you all have enjoyed the ride. It's a little short and a little angsty, but shouldn't be too bad.

XxxX

Allen stood in front of the door, shifting nervously, and blinking back the sting of tears. Part of him wanted to run away, to not have to face this, but he knew he had to. There was no turning back from this moment and no way to ignore it. It had been almost a month since the explosion that collapsed the Howard Building on campus and Allen had only just been released from the hospital a few days ago. Still, he had been avoiding this confrontation. Now, Allen no longer could. He took a deep breath, twisted the knob in his hand and pushed the door open slowly- carefully, before stepping inside.

However, before Allen could walk in a tall, older man with wild gray hair, mustache and round glasses made his way out, causing Allen to take a few steps back. The man blinked rapidly when he noticed someone in his way.

"Oh?" He sounded surprised and curious as his gaze raked over Allen's form consideringly. Those calculating eyes landed on his left arm, which was properly immobilized and in a sling, and the stitches still in his face as he seemed to try to place Allen. "Who are you?"

"A-Allen Walker, sir." Allen answered nervously.

"Allen? You must be the boy Yuu saved." The man seemed to perk up at that. He wiped at the tears mumbling something like 'blubbering old fool' under his breath before extending his hand with a kind smile and soft eyes. "I'm Froi Teidoll, Yuu's father."

Allen took his hand even as he looked away, unable to meet the man's gaze. Guilt squeezed his heart as it tried to beat its way out of his chest knowing he didn't deserve such consideration after he'd been the cause of so much pain. Teidoll seemed to notice his discomfort.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm sorry." Allen said softly, needing to just get it out. One moment, he was caught in his own inner turmoil and the next Allen was scooped up into a tight but gentle hug.

"You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for." Teidoll said, his deep, rich voice soothing away some of Allen's deepest worries. "Yuu may come off cold, but he is fiercely protective of his friends. He did what came naturally to him and that is not your fault." He stood back up and kept a steady hand on Allen's shoulder as he broke out in a wide smile. "In fact, I would have been disappointed if he'd left you- friend or not. I raised him better than to ignore a person in need."

Allen giggled nervously as he awkwardly scratched at the back of his head. He doubted Kanda was the kind of person to go out of his way for a stranger, but he didn't want to burst Teidoll's bubble. The man seemed so confident in his opinion of his son. Now lapsing into an awkward silence, Allen shifted in his spot and tried to discreetly peer around Teidoll to the door that would lead to Kanda's hospital room. He was anxious and nervous about seeing Kanda again, but he had to apologize.

"Oh, of course. You're here to see Yuu." Teidoll said stepping aside a bit for him. "I am, unfortunately, on my way out, but feel free to go in. He's a little sleepy right now, but he'll probably perk up in a bit."

Allen nodded awkwardly as the older man patted him on the shoulder and walked away, wondering how a man that upbeat managed to raise a kid like Kanda. Suddenly alone again in the middle of the hall, the nervousness that had abated a little during their conversation came back with a vengeance. Taking a deep breath, Allen opened the door and walked into the hospital room.

The room held two beds, though only one was occupied, the lights were dimmed, and there was little sound other than the steady beeping of nearby monitors. It smelled sterile and the walls were clinically white, something that Allen knew would irritate Kanda. He smiled slightly before it dropped from his face again when Allen stepped lightly, carefully up to the bed closest to the door.

Kanda laid still on his back with his face turned away and eyes closed. His hair was loose from its usual high ponytail and spilt like dark silk over one shoulder. Allen bit his lip and sighed. Just his luck; he worked up the nerve to see Kanda and the other boy was asleep.

Guilt continued to weigh him down. Allen had just barely survived his injuries, had nearly bled out before making it to the hospital for a blood transfusion and surgery to repair the damage. His heart stopped once, or so he was told. Despite all of that, Allen was expected to make a full recovery. Maybe he would have a couple of scars for the rest of his life, but there wouldn't be any lingering effects from his injuries. No one could say so much for Kanda.

Allen's eyes trailed down Kanda's body before quickly averting his gaze and allowing his healthy hand to fiddle with the edge of his button-up shirt. There were seven students still in the building when it fully collapsed. Of those, only Kanda and one other survived their injuries. However, the time it took the rescue workers to dig him out was too long and Kanda's damaged leg was not salvageable despite multiple attempts to save it. Kanda's leg had to be amputated from above the knee and it was Allen's fault.

"Moyashi?" The quiet voice brought Allen out of his dark thoughts and he looked up to see Kanda's eyes open slightly and cast a cautious glance around the otherwise empty room.

"Uh, yeah?" he asked, feeling a little unsure.

"Is Teidoll still here?"

"N-no. I could-" Allen was about to offer to go after him, not wanting to deny his friend the comfort of a parent, when Kanda cut him off.

"Finally!" He exclaimed with a force that caused Allen to practically jump out of his skin. Kanda rolled to the side and grabbed the control for the bed, adjusting the position so he was sitting more upright. "That old fool has been in here all morning, blubbering about how excited he is for me to come home."

"You're going home?"

"Yeah, in a couple of days." Kanda answered before eyeing him from head to toe in a way that made Allen shiver. "You're looking good."

Allen felt his face heat intensely at that unexpected comment, not knowing quite what to say. Judging from way Kanda's cheeks colored, he hadn't meant to say that aloud or that way. They remained in a strange sort of limbo for a minute or so before Allen could gather himself back together. He took a deep breath and chocked up the nerve to say what he came here to, what needed to be said.

"I'm sorry." His voice was soft and quiet, but Kanda seemed startled by it. Allen pressed forward. "I-I mean, what happened to you- your leg. It's my fault, and... and I'm sorry. I should have done more, or- or you should have left me, or-"

Kanda growled and before Allen knew what was happening, he had reached out and fisted the fabric of Allen's shirt, yanking him closer violently enough to elicit a sharp groan from the freshman as his still sore body protested the movement.

"You fucking idiot," Kanda hissed through clenched teeth as Allen blinked in surprise. "I'm not gonna sugar coat anything for you. Loosing my leg fucking sucks more then I can say. But my only consolation is that you are still alive," Allen was floored by Kanda's admission. Yet, he still couldn't quite believe it. Kanda then pulled Allen close enough that their foreheads almost touched, as if the proximity would help his words sink in better, and pressed on with a low, urgent tone. "Let me tell you something, Moyashi. Dying so casually helps nothing, proves nothing. *Because when your dead, that's it you're gone and you're never coming back. And what will you care then, huh? You won't care, you can't care, you're dead. But everyone else will have to get up every day and keep dealing with the shit you left behind. You don't suffer, we suffer*. I knew the kind of damage I was doing to myself. I chose your life over my leg, and I would do it again without a second thought. Don't you ever doubt that, and don't you dare apologize for it. Value your life."

It was a proclamation made so passionately that it stole Allen's breath. He smiled gently and allowed his head to drop forward the short distance so his forehead was resting against Kanda's. "Thank you," He said softly, still a little fearful. His life had never meant so much to anyone before, and he wasn't quite sure what that meant.

In a moment, Kanda's lips were pressed against his, hard, fast, and demanding as he deepened the kiss. Allen couldn't help but feel amused by his lack of grace. It was as if the guy had no measure of gentleness in him, not that Allen really cared. It just wouldn't be Kanda if he were soft and demure. A chuckle bubbled out of him as they parted, causing the man lying in bed to furrow his brow in annoyance.

"What." Kanda growled.

"Nothing..." Allen started. "It's just- it seemed more like you were trying to eat my face then kiss me."

Kanda didn't look nearly as amused as Allen was with that statement. With a quiet, moody huff he settled back into the pillows and crossed his arms over his chest. Allen simply laughed at the older man's petulant look. A genuine smile stretched across his lips before leaning in and and giving him a softer, gentler kiss. Kanda responded in kind, allowing Allen to take the lead. For now.

XoxoxoX

*This is something my mother used to say to me when I was a teenager. Basically it was her way of telling me to value my life and not act rashly. If not for myself, then for her and everyone else who loves me.

Well, that ending kinda sucked, I just don't do romance well, but it's done! Yay!

Stay safe and see you next time!