AuthorNotes:

Well, welcome to my first ("published") fanfic! Possible a little OOC-ish but not so much that it's fatal to the general story... I hope. XP

I've always loved Frau and Teito and this is what comes of it... and watching too many angsty AMVs.

Anyway, think of this happening sometime after chapter 44 and after Capella's gone... but they're also back near the Raggs kingdom since there's snow... umm yeah. Just work with it I guess.

My Single Ray of Light

Glass rattled against the window panes and winter's gale beat against the chilled stone walls. Inside, Teito shivered. Night hadn't even begun to fall and already the windows of the small shack they'd found were frosted over with delicate cracks of ice. Teito pulled his worn coat tighter around him and glared over to his right. Frau sat, seemingly lost in thought, with his back against the frosted glass of the largest window. His usual coat hung open in the front but despite the obvious fact that he wore no other layers, he showed no signs of even noticing the force of the storm outside, not even shifting when the wind hurled a fresh drift of snow against the battered glass.

"Brat, you remember how to find Seele right?"

Teito jumped at the sudden question and realized he had been staring off. Rubbing his eyes he said, "Uh, yeah," his voice rasped from the cold and he coughed to clear it. "Don't I just need to find the rest of the tickets from the remaining God Houses?"

Frau nodded absently still looking off to the side. "Yeah, you should be fine."

At that Teito stopped trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Frau looked up then, his usual mocking grin was back in place but Teito noticed it didn't quite reach his eyes. "What's what mean, brat? I didn't say anything."

"Idiot, I'm not deaf, I can hear you! What d'you mean, I should be fine?" when Frau didn't respond Teito continued. "Where are you going to be if I 'should be fine'?"

Frau sighed and stood up. "You want me to rephrase it kid? 'You will be fine'?" he closed his eyes and frowned slightly, turning back to face the storm outside. "You will be fine. And I'll be back in District Seven."

Teito froze, staring at the back of Frau's head waiting for an explanation. When it didn't come he forced his throat to work.

"What're you talking about?" he croaked. Frau didn't respond.

"You're leaving?"

Frau didn't turn.

"You can't," Teito was surprised at how calm his voice sounded. Calm when what he wanted to do was scream. Scream and lock the door before Frau could walk out and be lost in the snow.

Frau turned then. "I'm going out." He stopped with his hand on the doorknob. "I'm not leaving now but… not now."

"Is it because of the scythe?"

Frau froze with his hand still on the doorknob. Teito looked down, letting his brown hair cover his eyes.

"You can't leave. You can't. Because…"

"Because why?" Teito blinked when he heard Frau's voice only a short distance away.

"Because," Teito's hands clenched at his sides, the nails digging into his palms. "Because," he shut his eyes but silent tears still found their way down his cheeks. He felt Frau's hand, cold in death, rest lightly on his head.

"Because I love you," Teito breathed.

Frau's hand tensed and Teito looked up in time to see him turn away.

"I know," Frau murmured. He turned and stepped quietly out into the darkening storm leaving Teito to stare blankly at the empty doorway.

Twilight had fallen by the time Teito stepped out into the snow. The storm had calmed now and a few feeble stars were even visible through swirling clouds above. In the dim light Teito could see the falling snow had wiped away any tracks that might have been found but there was really only one path to follow and he forced his way onward, struggling slightly against the knee-high snow.

Towards the end of the path an ancient crumbling wall stood to the right, only a few feet higher then Teito, stones worn smooth by years of icy weather. Reaching the end of this Teito turned in to what once must have been a sheltered garden. The stone wall lined three sides of the small stretch of smooth snow while the fourth side lay open facing hills of snow that vanished into the coming dark of night. In the corner stood Frau, back against the cold wall and hands in his pockets as he watched Teito, expressionless.

Teito made his way through the snow, ignoring the freezing bits that fell into his boots, until he could lean against the wall beside Frau.

Neither of them spoke for a while, only stared out at the growing night. The clouds swirled above but the air below felt still. Teito sighed and watched his breath swirl in the cold air.

"You said I could save you," in the quiet night his voice sounded louder then he'd meant it to. "I can't understand what you meant by that yet, but how can I save you if you leave?"

Frau shifted beside him but said nothing.

Teito looked down, studying the snow piled around his feet. "You don't have to love me," he murmured. "I just thought I should say. Just… don't leave."

Without warning Teito felt himself being lifted suddenly and slung over Frau's shoulder.

"Aah! You… bastard! Why still?"

"I never said that you damn brat."

Teito stopped struggling. "Never said what?" But Frau didn't respond; just continued walking, his longer legs taking them back to the shelter much faster then Teito could've managed in the snow.

Once they were back inside Frau dropped Teito back on his feet and turned back to face the same window he had sat at earlier that evening. Teito stood waiting, afraid to speak, afraid to stay silent.

Frau sighed. He brought his forehead down slightly to meet the cool glass of the window. He spoke quietly, "I never said I don't love you, Teito."

Tears retraced their paths down Teito's cheeks and he closed his eyes. He felt himself falling and quickly bent his knees to sit on the cool stone floor. His eyelids pressed against his knees, he heard Frau's quiet footsteps as he came to crouch in front of Teito.

"Then don't leave me," Teito whispered into his knees. He felt Frau's hand rest on his head for the second time that night and he lifted his head to meet Frau's blue eyes.

"Don't leave me," he repeated.

Blue eyes closed and Frau turned away and the silence stretched on.

Ho finito! Voi godete? So read and review and all that please. You know the drill I assume...

I could've called this "Fluff n' Angst" but I just gave it a quote from chapter 44 instead.

Hope it was a passable bit of lit. Enough for mild enjoyment at least, you know? ^^