Tales of My Beloveds (D.Gray-Man)

Day 9: Hanging Out With Friends

A/N: I wrote a very personal mini-update on why I haven't been updating or even actively writing (or reading) in general on my fanfiction.net profile, leonebrion. Please check it out. It felt good to say it. It's at the very top of my profile.

I really enjoyed writing this and I hope you'll enjoy reading this. I think especially anyone who held DGM as close to your heart as I once have.

On with the story!

Day 9: Hanging Out With Friends

A person like Ellen doesn't necessarily want to be disturbed when it comes to her relationship with food, especially the hours after a tedious, demanding, and very emotionally draining mission. It's inevitable however that when living at the Black Order, whenever she invites herself to the cafeteria, her existence is immediately announced to what seemed like the entirety of the organization. One by one, they all come crashing in...

"What a coincidence, Ellen! My break just started." Johnny said as soon as he miraculously spotted her behind her heaps upon heaps of stacked plates. "Just came back from a mission, I see?" Knowing that she only eats that much when she had overexerted herself.

Gulping down the last of the plate she started only a second ago, and although exhausted, Ellen quickly flashed a grin accentuating the food residue. "I did, I apologize but I was hoping to be able to eat in pea-"

"Johnny, you should have told me you were going to the cafeteria, I could've persuaded Jeryy to give us both an extra plate of our favourite foods. Wait for me next time, will ya?"

Peace. I was going to say peace. Ellen thought quietly to herself, concealing it with a smiling greeting. "Hi, Jiji..." She trailed off.

"I just got here, Jiji. You can still do that for me, and Ellen?" Johnny said that last part slightly as a query exclusive to Ellen, knowing that she might take more regardless of her current satiated appetite had it been her favourite dish as well.

"No, I'm fi-" The ending of her sentence would've kept the two scientists shocked had she not been interrupted by a fourth party.

Marie hadn't said a word as his immediate presence alone did more than words could ever dream of doing for him in declaring that he was near. "Hello." He began as he carried a chess table in one arm and the bag of chess pieces in the other.

Jiji and Johnny discarded their initial shock at Ellen's unfinished answer for a warm beam of their white teeth towards their long time exorcist friend. "Marie!"

"I just finished lunch, would you like to play some chess?" Marie politely asked, setting up the game in a small area of the table that was untouched by Ellen's meal.

Ellen, seeing that Marie had already begun setting up, said yes, cleaning up what remained of her very satisfying love session with lunch break, wheeling her clutter to the disposal and setting herself back down in the middle of things. There was no doubt that despite Marie's blindness, he would be competent enough to leave Ellen and company feeling challenged in the board game.

"Could I join in too, Allen and Marie?" Krory sheepishly requested, much to the instant acceptance from Allen, Marie, Johnny, and Jiji.

A keen ear, red-headed fellow heard the chatter in the distance and ran off towards it, abandoning what was previously being done and leaving his partner in the process of that previously shared activity agitated as per usual. Him recognizing the voices and soon the faces too as they came into view. "Oh, Krory-kins! I wanna verse ya in a game of chess!"

"You think you have time for that, Lavi?" Bookman asked his successor redundantly, coming up behind him steadily.

"Of course." Krory said with a small smile, tears brimming in his eyes.