Ai: C-Can you BELIEVE that this is my first ever Shonen-Ai fic, despite my huge love for Yaoi?! EVER! Or even Romance-genre fic. So I actually got really embarrassed writing this, cos I'm used to writing crack and maybe a couple of serious fics. AND, this is my first ever 07-GHOST fic as well, so excuse me if it's OOC, cheesy, or lame, although I'm inclined to believe that it's all 3... Please don't shoot me. It's not Ai-hunting season.

The origin of this fic: Did anyone feel really mad when the slave trader dude interrupted Teito and Frau in Chapter 44 of the manga?! Or is it just me? Anyways, I felt mad enough to want to murder the dude. And so, I thought up of this idea! Or rather, it walked into my head all by itself, thank you, Plot Bunnies. Just imagine, what kind of of beautiful scenes could have unfolded if it wasn't for that guy! Thanks to these thoughts, this fic was born! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: All I can say is... this IS called a FANfiction for a reason, and it IS on FANfiction . net for a reason, right...?

Teito jolted upright as the blond Bishop's voice awoke him from his sleep. His newly-regained memories were still swirling in his head. His father, the King of Raggs, the Father, the Eye of Mikhail, and…

"I… I am…"

"Damnit… What's up with this… You're Pandora's Box…" Frau brought his hand to his head, unable to believe it. Yet it all made sense now. No wonder the Church had been unable to locate Pandora's Box all those years, when they believed that Fia Kruez had stolen it. No one would have ever imagined that a living human, and a young boy at that, was the very thing sealing Veloren's body away. Both males sat in silence, lost in their own thoughts, until Teito slowly opened his mouth to speak.

"Frau… Frau… Your scythe can cut through anything, right? If… If it looks like my soul is being devoured… If you decide that it's already hopeless… Use your scythe to kill me." Despite the decision, there was no masking his desperate tone, nor his trembling voice.

"… Tei…"

Frau put a hand on Teito's shoulder. "Damn brat… How did you feel when Mikage asked you to kill him?" Teito's eyes widened upon recalling the painful memories, trying to fight back his tears. "Mikage, he… I… I couldn't do it…"

"It's the same for me, Teito… What makes you so sure that I would be able to bring myself to kill you?"

The brunette looked up, his eyes regaining some of their usual sharpness. "But if you don't, Veloren will—"

"I know, he'll be revived, right? But to me, if I had to choose between ending your life with my two very own hands, or allowing Veloren to be revived a thousand times, I'd rather let you live. You mean that much more to me as compared to the fate of the whole world."

"Frau, please…" Teito was nearly begging now.

"… I can't, Teito, you know I can't…"

"I… I don't want to die either!" Teito screamed. "But I don't want to put everyone in danger just because of my selfishness! Mikage, Hakuren, Castor-san, Labrador-san, Capella, you…!"

Frau suddenly reached over and pulled the younger boy into a hug, surprising him. "I know, brat…" He seemed to calm down a little under Frau's embrace, but his shaking did not stop. "I know…"

"Please, Frau, just promise me that you'll kill me should it happen…" A lone tear glistened as it ran down his cheek.

And so Frau understood just how much Teito feared endangering the people he loved.

He closed his eyes, and forced himself to say the words he did not want to.

"I promise, damn brat."

******

It was midnight when it happened. Teito's soul was completely devoured by Veloren.

"You still remember our p-promise, right, Frau…?" Teito gasped, trying to resist the pain of Veloren forcefully taking over his consciousness.

"Of course." Even though it had been nearly a year since their promise, he still remembered it as if it had only been the day before. How could anyone possibly forget that they had promised to kill the person they held the most dear, even if it was necessary to save millions of other lives?

"I-I want… to tell you… something… Frau… I… … …" Despite the fact that he was about to die in mere moments, Teito couldn't help but blush when he uttered those words. Frau actually smiled a little, unable to help it. That was so like Teito. "Now, hurry and kill me… Hurry…"

******

That day, Frau learnt that Ghosts could still cry, dead or not. His cheeks wet, he returned his scythe, dyed red with Teito's blood, to his arm.

I love you, Frau.

And I love you too, Teito. I had always loved you, ever since we first met. And the only reason why I could bring myself to kill you, was because I love you.

Author's Notes:

And it's done! Thanks for reading, review please, and constructive critism is welcomed! Note, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISM. Not Flames. Flames shall be used as practice for my fire extinguishing skills.

So please press the Review button~ It would really make my day!