A/N: Hey! *smile* I got a request from a sick anon on Tumblr, so I put this together pretty quick, and I'm actually quite pleased with it. There's never enough Allen and Mana in the world.

Title: Spoonful of Sugar

Author: liketolaugh

Rating: K+

Pairings: None

Genre: Family

Warnings: None

Summary: Allen wakes up sick. Mana, as usual, seems to know exactly what to do.

Disclaimer: Like hell I own D. Gray-man.

Allen woke up to a hand gently shaking his shoulder.

"Allen," an annoying voice crooned, sounding amused. The hand shook his shoulder again, and Allen groaned. "Allen, you silly boy, it's time to wake up already! Can't you feel the sunshine?"

Allen mumbled something that was probably either an expletive or another groan, his muddled brain couldn't tell. His head felt fuzzy, his mouth full of cotton, and despite the blanket over him, he was shivering. He squirmed, trying to burrow away from Mana's reaching hand.

Mercifully, the hand moved away, but then the covers were pulled down and away. Allen hissed, curling up into a ball, and his stomach roiled.

"Lemme alone," he mumbled, turning his face into the pillow. Damn it, who'd opened the window? It was freezing. He wanted to go back to sleep.

"Allen?" Mana sounded puzzled, but a moment later, it turned a little more serious, tinged with concern. "Is everything alright, boy?"

"Lemme alone," Allen said with a little more force, and he winced as his stomach roiled again. Had he eaten something bad? Or was there something- no, Mana had made the food.

He let out a noise he swore to God wasn't a whimper, and reached down for the covers. Blindly, he pulled them back over him, but they didn't seem to help much.

A few moments passed, and he'd have liked to go back to sleep, but he was too suspicious now. With a reluctant huff, he pried his eyes open and glowered at Mana, who was giving him the oddest look.

"What?" he spat out, shifting back. Now it was too hot. He pushed the covers off.

"Aren't you hungry?" Mana asked. Apparently this disrupted his entire worldview.

Allen sucked in a quick breath. "No." Actually, just the thought of food-

He coughed, gasped in another breath, and then, unable to quell the sudden nausea, squirmed and shot forward and nearly fell off the bed throwing up over the edge.

Shit.

Mana had barely had time to move aside, and one arm was keeping Allen from tipping forward into his own sick. The other was rubbing Allen's back gently, and he was making soft shushing noises, a strange look in his eyes again. Weirdo.

When Allen stopped retching, panting softly and not even bothering to grimace at the foul taste in his mouth, Mana smiled at him and said, "I starting to wonder if you ever got sick."

Allen stared at him, tears stinging at his eyes, and then huffed, shut his eyes and shook his head. It made the world spin, and he nearly retched again.

"I'm not sick," he mumbled. Mana moved to sit beside him, carefully avoiding the puddle of sick, and Allen leaned into him. "I'm just… tired. Stupid Mana."

Mana laughed softly, and Allen sighed as he felt the man stroke his hair. Like a dog or something. Allen wasn't a dog, dammit… "And not nearly as grumpy as usual, I see."

"Not sick," Allen repeated stubbornly, and tried to push away from Mana to glare at him again. Mana held him in place with no apparent effort, and after a moment or two or struggling, Allen slumped against him with a huff. "Bloody hell." At least Mana was warm.

"Language," Mana said cheerfully, and Allen snarled against his side.

"I'm cold," he said petulantly, because yeah. Now he was cold again.

"Sh, sh," Mana hummed soothingly, enough to make Allen settle just a little. "Allen, how do you feel? Cold, nauseous…" He trailed off, and the stroke of his hand could have lulled Allen to sleep.

Allen sighed, giving in. "Tired," he muttered, tipping his head against Mana's hand. "Cold. My head hurts and I think I'm gonna throw up again." His good hand went up to Mana's shirt and squeezed, and tears stung at his eyes again, frustrated and upset. "Manaaaa."

"Sh," Mana repeated. "I'll take care of you, alright, Allen? Everything'll be just fine."

He tipped his head back to stare blearily at Mana, and then he sighed, relaxing.

"Mkay," he murmured.

Mana smiled; Allen knew it without even looking. "Good boy, Allen. Go to sleep for me, won't you? I'll get some medicine for you for when you wake up, and some food that won't upset your stomach. How does that sound?"

"Mm," Allen huffed, and Mana laughed.

"Atta boy, Allen."

A moment later, Mana pulled away, and Allen grimaced, but then moved around until he was resettled on the bed. He reached for the covers, but Mana wrapped his large hand around Allen's much smaller one, stopping him.

"Don't do that, Allen," he chided gently, setting down the room trash can beside the bed. "You've got a fever; going under the covers will just make it worse." He patted the can. "And try to aim for this if you have to throw up again, alright? But don't worry if you miss, either."

Allen stared at him for a long moment, and then sighed and closed his eyes. "If you say so, Mana."

"I do say so," Mana said agreeably, and then there was the squeak and swing of the door, and he left.

Allen sighed, deflating into the bedspread, and tried to do as Mana had asked and go to sleep. He'd wanted to earlier, and he felt like hell, so why couldn't he…?

He started when the door opened again, muddled enough that it took him a few seconds to open his eyes and look, but then Mana was there and had gotten a cloth from somewhere, and then there was cold, wet cloth on his forehead and he scowled.

"What the fuck," he muttered, half against the pillow, glaring at Mana past the trickling water.

"It'll cool you down," Mana assured him, patting his shoulder comfortingly, with a too-soft smile on his face and warmth in his eyes.

"I'm cold," Allen snapped. But he didn't reach for the cloth.

"Trust me," Mana said encouragingly, and damn it. Damn it.

"Whatever."

Mana was laughing at him again. Stupid Mana.

"Go to sleep, Allen," Mana said, gentle and fond. "I'll be here when you wake up."

"…You promise?" Allen asked suspiciously.

Mana's smile widened and warmed. "I promise."

"…A'ight."

Allen closed his eyes, and let himself fall asleep to the feeling of Mana stroking his hair again.

There! *beam* These two are so cute together, honestly. Anyway- Thanks for reading, and please review!